Netflix announced an $82.7 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. What does it mean for users?
Hollywood started panicking because of this Netflix X Warner Bros acquisition.
I’m deeply immersed in cinematography, and to me, this feels like proof that theatres could decline even further as people continue to favour streaming. I’m also questioning what this means for content quality. Fewer major producers could create more room for monopolies and potential price wars, and I think we can expect subscription prices to rise as a result.
What do you expect from this acquisition?
And how do you see the future of Netflix with Warner Bros. added to its portfolio?
I am also adding some data from Statista (Preference for watching a movie for the first time at a theatre instead of via a streaming service in the United States from November 2018 to June 2020) – so this seems like the move by Netflix was done timely!
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As an animator and having worked with both brands I can say I know a couple things from experience...
1) Netflix is extremely unlikely to share consumer analytics with creators. They don't let creatives understand how their audience engages with their content unlike with Prime & Youtube.
2) More political content as marketing. This is no secret anyone who has worked with Netflix will tell you they gravitate towards politically charged content not for any ethical reasons but for algorithmic reasons. If they sprinkle a bit of controversy over a product that gets a bump across all platforms and for Netflix that's a win. So buckle up for the purposefully political and poorly executed smearing - just so you watch it and realize it was just to get you to watch it in the first place 🤣
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@mrbraylabs I am a bit off when it comes to that marketing. How does Netflix support political marketing? :D I think I missed something.
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@chris_wyatt2 Do you mean a new streaming service? Or?
For Netflix users its all good things, more content maybe a bundling option with HBO. For the entertainment industry maybe not so good, mostly because 1) consolidation is just bad for all the obvious reasons, less competition, less employment, less variety, less less less. But 2) Netflix isn't going to release movies in theatres. What's on the docket now will likely get full theatrical releases but after a couple years in looks like they're going to convert to the straight to streaming or 2 weeks at most in the theatres option. Universal and Disney are going to be the only companies releasing movies in theatres, which isn't enough, so more theatres closing. Also Netflix doesn't release physical media, so all those WB movies and HBO shows, don't expect a new DVD release.
Probably bad for consumers overall.
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@zackary_goncz That sounds "dystopic" but probable. And it is heartbreaking, but somehow I pray for the traditional theatres to be there for the next centuries (it has a history in Greece) and it brings people together.
This is a really interesting take.
From a user perspective, the biggest question for me isn’t just access to more content, but whether consolidation like this improves or slowly dilutes quality.
On one hand, Netflix + Warner Bros. could mean deeper catalogs and fewer fragmented subscriptions. On the other, fewer major players often lead to higher prices and safer, less experimental content.
Theatrical decline feels like part of a longer trend rather than a single trigger — convenience and personalization have clearly won for most users. The real test will be whether Netflix uses this scale to invest in better storytelling, not just more volume.
Curious to see if this ends up benefiting users long term, or mainly strengthens market power.