Grab some popcorn and take comfort that things are booming in Hollywood, and not just because of the color of Netflix, which has just declared itself the winner in the bidding war to acquire Warner Bros., beating out Paramount and Comcast.
The streaming platform will now enter the exclusive phase of negotiations with Warner to outline a purchase contract, according to reports Bloomberg. If a deal is reached, and once licenses are obtained from regulators, Netflix will take control of Warner’s film and streaming assets, including the film studio and HBO Max.
Originally expressing his supposed disinterest just two months ago, things have taken a serious turn for Netflix. Spokespeople for the platform assured that “they were unlikely to enter the bidding war“When Paramount had already made some attacks in this direction. But where I said, I say…
HBO Max
HBO Max has one of the largest and best catalogs in the streaming world, and also with competitive prices.
When Warner Bros. Discovery has officially been put up for sale, Netflix and Comcast’s disposition has completely changed. The red platform has not only substantially increased its cash offers, but has also committed to respecting the studio’s legacy and maintaining its theatrical releases.
Sources also claim that Netflix is willing to shell out up to an additional $5 billion if government regulators try to block the process purchase when applying antitrust law.
This last one is not a random statement, as it responds to the aggressive movements that he, in turn, is making. Paramount Skydance Corporationwhere Netflix’s victory felt like a direct kick to the ego.
Paramount threatens repercussions if Netflix buys Warner
The newly merged company David Ellison It was the one who broke the bank by trying to buy Warner the fast track, just weeks after Paramount Global and Skydance signed their merger. The company’s first three offers were rejected even before David ZaslavCEO of Warner, put the company up for sale.
Favored by the direct support of the president donald trumpEllison family friend, it seemed like Paramount had a clear advantage in the bidding war, but Netflix’s entry into the equation changed things.
Just yesterday we told how Paramount’s legal team accused Warner of favoring Netflix in the purchase process, declaring that the entire negotiation is contaminated by this predisposition.
With this apparent victory for Netflix, although the exclusive negotiation has not yet ended and therefore there is no final agreement, Paramount has exploded, as stated Screen speech. The company abandoned this, If Netflix or, where appropriate, Comcast prevails, the deal is doomed to failure.
At Paramount, they highlight the leadership positions of their two competitors as an asset to US regulators impose restrictions on the deal and block it under the aforementioned antitrust law. Netflix hasn’t faced that kind of demand yet, but buying a big company like Warner could lead to it.
Among Paramount’s accusations to discredit Netflix, we also find the warning that the platform’s commitment to maintaining Warner’s legacy and continuing to release it in theaters has an expiration date. They maintain that once current agreements expire, streaming will be the absolute priority.
In short, although this initial phase of the bidding war has already ended, the end-of-year Hollywood soap opera continues. It does not appear that the threats of primordial They’re barking bravado, so all of this could go a long way if the Trump administration decides to muddy the entire acquisition process. Warner on the part of Netflix.