Once media shy Netflix CEO is ready for his close-up

Netflix (NFLX) is a high-profile company. The streaming service's founder and CEO Reed Hastings, not so much -- until recently it seems.

Netflix is in the news on a daily basis -- for its unlimited maternity and paternity leave policy, exclusive licensing deals or being half of the global phenomenon -- “netflix and chill.” But Hastings had previously refrained from doing much media.

True, Hastings has always spoken his mind. Whether it’s through the company blog or his public facebook page, he finds a forum to tease new Netflix shows and share his opinion on articles written about the company.

But now he’s taken a more public and mainstream approach to speaking out. Previously, he had done interviews on business networks like CNBC and Bloomberg during conferences for the most part.

In early November, Hastings is slated to have a conversation with Bowdoin College president Clayton Rose at San Francisco City Hall.

“It's his alma mater and it's an alumni event,” Netflix’s director of corporate communications Anne Marie Squeo told Yahoo Finance.

(Full disclosure -- I’m also a graduate of Bowdoin College.)

On September 18th he joined outspoken Jim Cramer on the set of CNBC’s San Francisco bureau for a 15-minute interview. The “Mad Money” host’s first question referenced Netflix’s stock price -- how it started at 87 cents and now shares trade above 100 dollars.

Just 10 days prior, Stephen Colbert debuted as the new host of the CBS Late Show. His first guests included tech powerhouses like Tesla’s Elon Musk, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, Apple chief executive Tim Cook and Snapchat founder Evan Spiegel. Re/code reported that Hastings is on deck. Squeo told Yahoo Finance that he’s been invited but his appearance has not been confirmed.

So why the change up, Reed?

Perhaps it’s just that Hastings is feeling confident in the future of the company or maybe it’s that he feels the need to connect with different audiences, as Netflix has become a household name (and staple). Or maybe it’s because of Netflix’s foray into original content creation and collaboration, hence its need to buddy up to network television.

Squeo insists that Hastings’ media appearances are not out of the ordinary.

“There's no big change here. Reed and other Netflix execs have always spoken to groups as appropriate and will continue to do so.”

The company reports third quarter earnings next week and we await to see if he continues on his vocal streak.