Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros • Hacker News Board

Re: Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros

#201

Post by skeeter2020 » Fri, Dec 05, 2025, 1:51 PM UTC

pcurve wrote: post #14

Not sure how many of you have WBD shares with its rather tumultuous past (spin off from ATT, the Bill Hwang mess), but if you've picked up shares on the cheap in the past few years sub $10, congratulations. "Under the terms of the agreement, each WBD shareholder will receive $23.25 in cash and $4.501 in shares of Netflix common stock for each share of WBD common stock outstanding at the closing of the transaction. "

Note: this is after completion of the current splitting of WBD; as you'd expect Netflix wants the catalog and production but they're not taking the sports and some other pieces. The left over / newly revived Discovery Global will likely be a hollowed-out shell of less desirable properties saddled with a bunch of debt.

Re: Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros

#202

Post by Rastonbury » Fri, Dec 05, 2025, 1:52 PM UTC

cromka wrote: post #98

this_user wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

With the current administration, anything can be legal. Besides, they still have plans to spin off the cable networks, so this would mostly concern the streaming assets, movie studio, and the IP.

The merger needs to be accepted by other markets, too. No offense but I find it quite amusing how Americans keep forgetting about that.

Then they lobby Trump who threatens the country with tariffs

Re: Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros

#203

Post by palata » Fri, Dec 05, 2025, 1:52 PM UTC

srameshc wrote: post #39

I never imagined that a service that ships DVD via mail would one day buy Warner Brothers. It is amazing how innovation and focus can change the game. Someday a new startup will piggy bank on Netflix and probably buy it later.

> Someday a new startup will piggy bank on Netflix and probably buy it later.

I think what history shows us is that the modern monopolies managed to destroy antitrust to the point where nobody will ever do to them what they did to others.

Re: Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros

#204

Post by jmkd » Fri, Dec 05, 2025, 1:53 PM UTC

mihaic wrote: post #126

It's always great to read about how the people the own the means of distribution aquire also the means of production, trying to create a meta-monopoly. /sarcasm I'm rooting for someone on the regulary side disliking all the crap that Netflix produces, and just shuts the whole thing down. Those 5 billion they'd have to pay for a breakup fee in that case would have me feeling better that I couldn't cancel their service…

Netflix has had a large production studio outside Madrid for several years already.

Re: Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros

#205

Post by parrellel » Fri, Dec 05, 2025, 1:53 PM UTC

Well, at least it wasn't Larry Ellison.

Re: Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros

#206

Post by afavour » Fri, Dec 05, 2025, 1:53 PM UTC

PaulHoule wrote: post #194

afavour wrote: post #182

Any consolidation like this seems like a negative for consumers. But at least it wasn’t bought by Larry Ellison, as was considered very likely (assuming this merger gets approved, in the current administration you never know). From a Hacker News perspective, I wonder what this means for engineers working on HBO Max. Netflix says they’re keeping the company separate but surely you’d be looking to move them to Netflix…

What happens to HBO Max? Will you be able to watch all that with a regular Netflix subscription? Seems the business doesn't make sense unless New co revenue >= Netflix + HBO revenue Also: is Netflix going to take the theatrical and traditional TV businesses seriously at all?

I imagine it’ll end up looking very much like the Disney + Hulu + ESPN bundle. Minor savings but still more expensive than an individual subscription.

> traditional TV business

This was actually excluded from the deal. CNN, TNT, Discovery and the rest are being spun off into their own company. Presumably to wither and die.

Re: Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros

#207

Post by justin66 » Fri, Dec 05, 2025, 1:54 PM UTC

raverbashing wrote: post #121

I-M-S wrote: post #54

“The goal is to become HBO faster than HBO can become us.” - Ted Sarandos in 2013 Seems Netflix won that race.

After that complete fumble of HBO becoming "Max" they were at their last legs

The "Max" fiasco was pretty much the strangest branding mistake ever. Not just an obvious mistake but it was honestly kind of a mystery that anyone would even be tempted to do that.

Re: Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros

#208

Post by elpakal » Fri, Dec 05, 2025, 1:54 PM UTC

sethops1 wrote: post #188

afavour wrote: post #182

Any consolidation like this seems like a negative for consumers. But at least it wasn’t bought by Larry Ellison, as was considered very likely (assuming this merger gets approved, in the current administration you never know). From a Hacker News perspective, I wonder what this means for engineers working on HBO Max. Netflix says they’re keeping the company separate but surely you’d be looking to move them to Netflix…

Surely the move now would be to rename the app to Netlfix Max

And then to Max

Re: Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros

#209

Post by hbn » Fri, Dec 05, 2025, 1:55 PM UTC

unglaublich wrote: post #65

phartenfeller wrote: post #52

I don't like this. Netflix rarely creates excellent content; instead, it frequently produces mediocre or worse content. Will the same happen for Warner? Are cinemas now second behind streaming? Edit: I agree Netflix has good Originals. But most are from the early days when they favored quality over quantity. It is sad to see that they reversed that. They have much funding power and should give it to great art that re…

Netflix is `while profitable(): make_sequel()` which _always_ ends with shitty content and incomplete stories.

What you're describing is more of an American television problem.

The Simpsons, The Office, Game of Thrones, etc. all managed to go on too long without the help of Netflix.

Re: Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros

#210

Post by paxys » Fri, Dec 05, 2025, 1:55 PM UTC

palata wrote: post #203

srameshc wrote: post #39

I never imagined that a service that ships DVD via mail would one day buy Warner Brothers. It is amazing how innovation and focus can change the game. Someday a new startup will piggy bank on Netflix and probably buy it later.

> Someday a new startup will piggy bank on Netflix and probably buy it later. I think what history shows us is that the modern monopolies managed to destroy antitrust to the point where nobody will ever do to them what they did to others.

People said that a generation ago as well, and the one before that. Yeah monopolies make it hard, but every one of them eventually crumbles to the next wave of innovation.