Netflix Acquires Warner Bros. | From Rental to Streaming to Media Juggernaut
It's been reported on December 5th, 2025, by Netflix that they'll be acquiring Warner Bros. / Warner Bros. Discovery (never cared for the name change post Discovery buyout)! Seems the equity value is 72 Billion, but Netflix will be paying ~$82.7 Billion. The message given from Netflix directly?
Netflix to Maintain Warner Bros.' Current Operations
Combination Will Offer More Choice and Greater Value for Consumers, Create More Opportunities for the Creative Community and Generate Shareholder Value
Acquisition Will Strengthen the Entertainment Industry
Well... not sure if they used AI to summarize some points an plastered that before their announcement's body of information, but yea...
Now, Netflix posits that the acquisition will bring more choice, opportunities, and more value. I think one of those things is a blatant lie.
"Bringing more Choice"
Breaking News: "more" re-defined as "less"
I'm very open and blunt when it comes to my ideals on "choice", "options", and genuine "competition". I'm not even really bothered by Netflix buying WB as I've felt WB has been fumbling all of their properties for a very long time now. Fueled by greed and ego, an ever revolving door of Execs coming and going each wanting to brand their time in a chair as a defining era for the company's entertainment division. So sure! I believe Netflix can, at the very least, do better with said properties. Anyone probably could at this point...
But - and I get it: This is Netflix's official business announcement and they've a responsibility to glaze themselves and their actions for their investors and holders - but when I read "Combination will offer more choice", I wince. Fusing two platforms into once does not give you more, it takes away and consolidates. It purposely takes away choice.
It is important to note that the "Discovery" part of Warner Bros. (Warner Bros. Discovery) will be split and not included with this deal, meaning that CNN, TNT, and the Discovery+ platform will maintain independence and not be pulled into Netflix. But that's not Netflix themselves "offering more choice".
I want to reiterate, that I don't think it's an issue outright - but I simply don't like the rhetoric because it may be a means to soften things to come such as:
- Price hikes
- Layoffs
- Enshitification of platform and services
- Loss/Pay-Walling of Features
- etc.
These types of moves often causes pains, conflict, and problems during merging/integration - even if not right away. Netflix even states that they're expecting the transaction to be completed Q3 of 2026, so one should expect turbulence between 2028 and 2030 and beyond.
What to Look Forward to?
Who Knows!?
I've made my peace about the fumbling of Warner Bros., and this purchase opens up a lot of potential for Netflix. I'm all for pushing new creative ideas, or making use of IPs in ways that can expand as well as do something completely different! Just look at DC Comics having their praise for the "Absolute" series! But it's important to not ignore past failings or mishaps as well...
Netflix has fumbled its own series... The Witcher comes to mind... It's one thing to have something new fall flat, it's an entirely different look when you let a growing well received project fall despite both internal and external warnings. LOUD warnings at that.
To the point though - I'm not sure what will happen, how Netflix will do handling the new products and IPs, as well as if they'll be financially sound going forward with this decision. I myself have been cutting streaming out of my budget in favor of going back to physical media and my own self-hosting.
We'll just have to wait and see what the future has in store, and what other buyouts are to be expected...
Netflix's Announcement:
https://about.netflix.com/en/news/netflix-to-acquire-warner-bros
NPR:
https://www.npr.org/2025/12/05/g-s1-100873/netflix-buys-warner-bros-discovery-studio-streaming
