Warner Bros. Discovery and Netflix have entered exclusive deal talks related to streaming and ownership of the content that possess potential to reshape the media and entertainment industry.
As reported by Bloomberg, the landmark deal revolves around selling Warner Bros. Discovery’s (WBD) studios and HBO Max streaming business to Netflix.
According to sources privy to the exclusive negotiations, the deal is expected to be announced soon in the coming days. As per deal, Netflix is offering a $5 billion breakup fee in the case of lack of approval of deal from the regulators.
If signed, this merger would be Netflix’s largest acquisition ever by far. According to the Wall Street Journal, Netflix submitted a mostly cash bid for the acquisition.
With this move, Netflix has emerged victorious, outcompeting Paramount Skydance Corp. and Comcast Corp., who were also interested in the asset.
Paramount sought to purchase the entire company, including cable networks, such as TNT, CNN, and TBS. On the other hand, Comcast was aiming for studios and HBO Max streaming business.
Warner’s latest move to talks with Netflix came on the heels of the latest rounds of bids for Superman and the Harry Potter movies.
Netflix, the streaming giant, aims to strengthen its content offerings with WBD’s broad-spectrum production range, including TV studios and movies and premium intellectual property, giving it an edge against streaming competitors in Hollywood.
Exclusive deal: Seismic change to Hollywood?
The deal, if confirmed, can bring a major upheaval to the entertainment industry by cementing the collaboration between Netflix, the world’s most-running paid streaming service, and Hollywood’s oldest and most prestigious studios.
The deal is also poised to bring a strategic shift for Netflix as it becomes Hollywood’s valuable company by licensing programming from others and then moving into original content without depending on a content library.
Regulatory and future business model concerns
The highly-anticipated deal will also raise concerns regarding operational shifts and steaming marketplace.
Washington lawmakers have also questioned the efficacy of the deal as the acquisition of HBO Max will give Netflix too much dominance in the marketplace.
Analysts also question WBD’s future film release strategy as it only releases movies in theatres, a model that goes against Netflix’s subscription model.
