Netflix to Acquire โคWarner Bros.Discoveryโ in Landmark Deal, Sparking Industryโ Outcry
LOS ANGELES -โข December 13, 2025 โค- Netflix has reached a deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, a move poised to reshape the entertainment โฃlandscape and already drawing fire from theater owners and rival bidders.โ The acquisition, โthe financial terms of โขwhich were not immediately disclosed, combines Netflix’s streaming dominance with Warner Bros. Discovery’s vast library of film and television content, including iconic titles like Casablanca, Citizen Kane, and Friends.
The deal โmarks a significant escalation in media consolidation, comingโค asโข large mergers and acquisitions (M&A) experience a โresurgence under the current management.It also represents a potential turningโค point for Netflix,โฃ which has faced challenges in building sustainable franchises beyond hits like Stranger Things, KPop Demon Hunters, and Squid Game. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos highlighted these homegrown successes, stating they will now be paired โwith Warner’s extensive catalog.
However,โ the agreement has ignited immediate backlash. Theater owners express concern that a combined Netflix-Warner Bros. entity willโฃ further prioritize streaming over theatrical releases,potentially diminishing the cinema experience. More intensely, โคDavid Ellison โand โhisโค father, Larry Ellison – whose Paramount-Skydance bid was widely considered the frontrunner – are reportedly contesting the deal. Larry Ellison, a long-time Republican donor and Oracle cofounder, hasโ allegedlyโค been lobbying Washington officials, with allies raising antitrust and national-interest concerns about โฃNetflix gaining control of a major studio. David Ellison has reportedly met with Trump administration officials โas part of this effort.
Netflix is attempting to preempt regulatory hurdles โขby arguing that a combined Netflix-HBO โMax bundle will increase competition with Disney and other streaming services.The outcome โฃof this deal will serveโข as aโค key test of the Trump administration’s approach to large-scale mergers, particularly โขgiven the Ellisons’ unsuccessful bid and their connections to the White House.
The author previously worked internally at Netflix from June 2024 through Julyโ 2025.
