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community weblog
All Things To Me: Netflix Edition
It was announced earlier today that streaming giant, Netflix, has agreed to purchase the film and tv assets of Warner Brothers while Discovery Global (the other half of Warner Discovery) will retain cable channels like CNN, Discovery Channel, TNT, HGTV, Animal Planet, Food Network, Investigation Discovery, TLC, TruTV, and Cartoon Network
Now the next big question (beyond whether the merger will pass federal approval), is Netflix trying to kill Warner's theater releases?
(No word yet on the fate of the multi-branded HBO Max/Go)
posted by drewbage1847 on Dec 05, 2025 at 8:04 PM
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Netflix told me they bought HBO. Quote from the email:
We recently announced that Netflix will acquire Warner Bros., including its film and television studios, HBO Max and HBO.
posted by LionIndex at 8:15 PM
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In my opinion, David Zaslav must be destroyed.
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 8:16 PM
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Netflix told me they bought HBO
What I was referring to was in the email:
"Nothing is changing today. Both streaming services will continue to operate separately. We have more steps to complete before the deal is closed, including regulatory and shareholder approvals. You'll hear from us when we have more to share."
So... no word if HBO's streaming will be merged into Netflix or not.
posted by drewbage1847 at 8:30 PM
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OK, yes. Netflix acquired HBO and associated properties, but we're not sure yet whether streaming them will be available as part of a "regular" Netflix subscription.
One nice thing recently was that Netflix was getting licensing for some older, maybe not as high-profile HBO series - I might never have watched Insecure otherwise.
posted by LionIndex at 8:43 PM
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Will all these mergers eventually result in Hollywood becoming a one-company town, with a cloud of Indie gnats swarming around the margins?
posted by Jon_Evil at 9:21 PM
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So what happens to John Oliver?
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:43 PM
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This very long piece seemed very well informed and thoughtful:
Netflix Is Trying to Buy Warner Bros Discovery. That Would Be a Disaster for America., by Matt Stoller for BIG (pretty sure it's on Substack)
It looks at other huge consolidating mergers, two that did happen (Disney buying Fox and Microsoft buying Activision) and one that was blocked: Penguin attempting to buy Simon & Schuster.
And it also had this, which I found surprising and interesting:
This merger will overseen by the Justice Department, foreign enforcers, and a host of state attorneys general. It'll be a long drawn out process. If Trump decides he doesn't like the deal, then the Antitrust Division will challenge it. But even if he doesn't, or settles a deal in ways that are problematic, other enforcers can oppose it.
The politics of antitrust in this environment are complex, but they initially line up against this acquisition deal. In the bidding process, Paramount tried to convince Warner's board that their Netflix's proposal was illegal. For instance, Paramount's David Ellison hired former Trump Antitrust Division chief Makan Delrahim, and their pitch was that the Trump administration will let them do the merger, but won't let anyone else. You can expect meaningful GOP opposition to this deal, unless Netflix chooses to curry favor with Trump with donations, promised changes to content, and so forth, or finds a way to get his Silicon Valley advisors to persuade him to accept it.
...
And yet, it's not like the Democrats as a whole are going to be favorable. Hollywood creatives dislike Netflix's acquisition, and they are likely to determine how Democrats respond. More broadly, Democrats are coming to understand that consolidation is a problem. Yesterday, Jane Fonda put out a piece in The Ankler making that very point, noting "how this administration has used anticipated mergers as tools of political pressure and censorship."
So it sounds like it could be derailed at several points along the way, and if there are state attorneys general who can block it - and rival corporations fighting over who can actually get Trump to favor them - it could be hard to predict the outcome.
There's lots more to this story than I got from mainstream news media.
Personally, I wish the creators had enough money to bankroll their own studios. I'd much rather see what happens when the writers and actors and tech teams called the shots.
But for now, at least, I feel like this story is a whole lot more "wait and see" than it sounded like at first.
posted by kristi at 11:43 PM
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kristi: "I feel like this story is a whole lot more "wait and see""
I read that as "Walt and see" and y'know...
posted by chavenet at 3:47 AM
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If that piece is thoughtful and careful, and written by Matt Stoller, then there really is a first for everything.
posted by MisantropicPainforest at 6:21 AM
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Higher ups at Disney must be PISSED.
They want to own alllll the Superhero Toys sooo bad.
posted by Faintdreams at 6:54 AM
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I was very surprised to see the doom and gloom about this on Bluesky. My fear for some time has been that Skydance would buy WB. I think that would be a real world disaster, as Ellison's takeover of CBS has already made one major news outlet hopelessly compromised and worse than merely worthless, but potentially an active spreader of disinformation. Ellison also owning WB could literally be a catastrophe for life on earth. I'm sorry that Nefflix may be unkind to theaters and physical media, but....
posted by kittens for breakfast at 6:57 AM
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Maybe eventually all of these streaming services will merge into one package that could be delivered to your home through some sort of "cable" method... maybe with a couple of premium "channels" for recent movies or adult-oriented content... imagine what sort of far-future world that would be, where you got all the channels and content through a single "cable" without wondering whether the show you're looking for had migrated to a costly new streaming service you've never heard of before... impossible, you say?
I want my basic cable + Tivo back.
posted by kikaider01 at 8:07 AM
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Yes! That cable would be connected to a... "box," if you will, and the box would be connected to your TV. You'd of course need a separate remote control for the box.
posted by emelenjr at 8:15 AM
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Higher prices, less choice, and the "pushover" point for movie theatres.
Matt Stoller covers anti trust and monopolization stories in detail.
https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/netflix-is-trying-to-buy-warner-bros?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa382deaa-f554-47eb-af2f-e382ef5094fb_1003x381.png&open=false
posted by pthomas745 at 8:18 AM
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Perhaps, the Batgirl movie would now be released, though.
posted by ShooBoo at 8:47 AM
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where you got all the channels and content through a single "cable" without wondering whether the show you're looking for had migrated to a costly new streaming service
Honestly, cable was already heading in this direction. The hottest shows and movies would increasingly be on premium channels like HBO or Showtime, and old content was often only available as DVD boxed sets.
Cable was expensive, too. A standard cable subscription 30 years probably cost more than you pay for all your video and music streaming today. But I'll admit it was handy to be able to pay one bill to one company and just turn on your TV and have everything culturally relevant there at the touch of a button without endless logging in.
I had friends over the other day and we streamed a goofy movie about rail-riding hobos and some old episodes of the Twilight Zone. 25 years ago I guess we would have watched Fox's Sunday lineup and then Jon Stewart and Letterman. Was our night better for it? Hard to say.
posted by smelendez at 9:48 AM
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I'm sure this will be great for consumers! Like, I love how streamers are removing the option to use Chromecast to cast to your TV. I mean, who needs that? I look forward to even less choice and more ads!
It's like we cut the cable and tied it into a noose.
posted by misterpatrick at 11:05 AM
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I was very surprised to see the doom and gloom about this on Bluesky. My fear for some time has been that Skydance would buy WB
Yeah there was kind of no win here, if any of the deals were to go through. I guess Comcast might have been the least bad because they already own Universal and haven't messed with it too much?
posted by atoxyl at 11:54 AM
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If you look at what Skydance was worth on the stock market Thursday versus Netflix or WBD, the idea of Skydance buying Warners starts to look a little like this (Skydance on right).
posted by kittens for breakfast at 12:59 PM
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Bust all trusts
Make companies small again
posted by eustatic at 4:57 PM
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I was hopeful Netflix would get it because it's better than a CBS/CNN merger under the Ellisons' rightwing-propagandasphere, or an ABC/CNN merger under Disney. But sounds like Netflix is only after the entertainment half, not the news half anyway.
If we have to have a merger, I'm still pulling for Netflix over those other two. I don't think 2 of the 3 old broadcast networks should be rolled together in one company and in normal times, antitrust law would absolutely prevent any of the mergers now being discusssed.
posted by subdee at 5:54 PM
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I'm sure nobody is reading the email replies at Netflix, and in fact I'm surprised the email wasn't a noreply, but I responded thus:
IF YOU CAN AFFORD TO BUY WARNER BROTHERS YOU CAN AFFORD TO MAKE A NETFLIX APP FOR THE NINTENDO SWITCH YOU COWARDS
posted by Mister Moofoo at 9:38 PM
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(Seeing how emailing that something's a done deal before it's in the bag is all the rage...)
Hi Mefites,
We recently announced that my blog will acquire Metafilter, including its film and television arm, Fanfare. This unites our leading personal blogging service with Metafilter's iconic threads, bringing some of the world's most beloved in-jokes like Beanplating, Ponies, "Metafilter:", and Pepsi Blue together with posts about my occasional travels, weekly link round-ups, and personal end-of-year best-ofs.
What's changing?
Nothing is changing today. Both blogging services will continue to operate separately. We have more steps to complete before the deal is closed, including regulatory and shareholder approvals. You'll hear from us when we have more to share. In the meantime, we hope you'll continue to enjoy reading as much as you want, whenever you want – all on your current membership plan.
We know you might have questions. Check out our Help Centre for more information or contact us at any time.
Thank you for choosing my blog. We're committed to bringing you more great posts, links, photos and live spam-comment-blocking.
The My Blog team
posted by rory at 2:41 AM
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Paramount: Hold my beer
posted by funkaspuck at 7:19 AM
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Who do you root for? I hope they both lose.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:51 AM
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I never thought I would root for David Zaslav AND YET.
Trump is currently going apeshit on Paramount for MTG's 60 Minutes spot. The thing about Trump is that he smells a winner and wants to be on the winning side. I am positive that's why there's the improbable bromance with Mamdani now. Netflix is cool. A slackjawed whiny nepobaby who owns the Family Dollar version of HBO is not cool.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 9:16 AM
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Paramount Makes $77.9 Billion Hostile Bid for Warner After Netflix Struck Deal
Paramount included in their bid to Warner Bros that they would face "less regulatory challenges" due to cozy relationship between Larry Ellison and Trump. Bondi promised to have the FTC look into the Netflix merger. The Supreme Court indicated in arguments yesterday that didn't want the FTC to stay an independent agency with Democratic Board members who might do something about the blatant corruption and self-dealing.
Kushner's Affinity Partners and the sovereign wealth funds of Qatar, UAE and Saudi Arabia are putting up the cash for the takeover, which will be financed by debt. Behind the scenes, Ellison has promised to turn CNN into another Trump propaganda network
I need Warner Bros shareholders to stay strong here. Whatever the issues with the Netflix deal, it doesn't hand control of CNN over to fascists financed by foreign governments.
posted by subdee at 8:25 AM
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It's too soon to know, but I think Ellison will be doing his thing without Trump's aid. I don't think Trump gives a shit about Jared Kushner; I do think he cares that Ellison is being a little too loud about his personal connections to Trump. It looks like Ellison is hitching his loser brand to Trump. Netflix is a winner; all Ellison had was the Yellowstone franchise and the creator of it immediately ran away. He also has South Park, which is devoted entirely to making Trump and his administration look like a bunch of assholes. Paramount isn't "hot." That's what Trump cares about.
Hopefully the investors get it. Ellison would tank their brand. He's another Musk -- someone who thinks it doesn't matter if he loses money, but doesn't realize he's losing money because he's unpopular.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 10:45 AM
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