# Netflix {bidding} to buy Warner Bros Discovery **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Tags:** netflix, hbomax-wb-dc\ **Created:** [December 5, 2025, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-bidding-to-buy-warner-bros-discovery/1025425 "2025-12-05T13:03:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2025, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-bidding-to-buy-warner-bros-discovery/1025425/21 "2025-12-08T17:21:33Z")
> Not so fast, Netflix. Paramount launches hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery > [Paramount launches hostile bid for Warner Bros. to rival Netflix : NPR](https://www.npr.org/2025/12/08/nx-s1-5637272/paramount-warner-brothers-wbd-netflix) > Paramount Global has sweetened its offer to acquire Warner by a bunch, offering an all-cash deal valued at $108 billion to take over the parent company of HBO, Warner Bros. Studios and CNN, among other notable properties. So as stated, this is not a done deal. > [@Netflix to buy Warner Bros Discovery](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-to-buy-warner-bros-discovery/1025425/9): > > This is not a done deal, Netflix has the top offer currently, but the other players are still around and the government might not allow this. All of this is in the quoted article and I’ve been reading it elsewhere as well. Paramount was considering also buying CNN which Discovery wants to get rid of. They also were the leading buyer just a week ago or so. What makes Sarandos evil? I’ve not heard this before. We’re very please the second largest Netflix studio in under construction in my count… ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2025, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-bidding-to-buy-warner-bros-discovery/1025425/22 "2025-12-08T19:01:10Z")
> [@solost](#): > > I do wonder if this means access to both Netflix and HBO Max content together with only one streaming cost. Even if Netflix bumps up their prices a _little_, it may be worth it for the extra content. And I’m hoping if the Netflix deal goes through they don’t drop any content, like how HBO Max dropped a bunch of content when they combined with Discovery+. ---
**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2025, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-bidding-to-buy-warner-bros-discovery/1025425/23 "2025-12-08T22:42:04Z")
The Republican president has said he will be involved in the decision about whether the federal government should approve the $72 billion Netflix-Warner deal. [https://apnews.com/article/trump-netflix-warner-bros-merger-problem-f3e317b61899d34ce507ba38af4a2934](https://apnews.com/article/trump-netflix-warner-bros-merger-problem-f3e317b61899d34ce507ba38af4a2934) ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2025, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-bidding-to-buy-warner-bros-discovery/1025425/24 "2025-12-08T23:05:20Z")
Since paramount has already fulled bowed down to Trump by the Colbert issue and the “anti-bias” Omsbudsman that makes sure conservative ideas are put into everything paramount makes, I think Paramount has the obvious corrupt path to win this one. They’ve already paid their bribes and agreed to be a propaganda outlet. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-bidding-to-buy-warner-bros-discovery/1025425/25 "2025-12-09T03:56:54Z")
[Well golly, I wonder which direction Trump’s gonna lean on this one.](https://www.nbcnews.com/business/media/paramount-hostile-bid-warner-bros-discovery-rcna247993) > In a federal securities filing, Paramount said the hostile bid will be backed in part by funds from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, **as well as Affinity Partners, an investment firm founded by Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.** Bolding mine. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-bidding-to-buy-warner-bros-discovery/1025425/26 "2025-12-09T04:13:02Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > backed in part by funds from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, **as well as Affinity Partners, an investment firm founded by Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.** Of course it is. When I heard Trump say “‘could be a problem’ because of size of market share” I thought that seems like reasonable thing to say, what’s his angle? It was of course selling out America to foreign autocrats and making Trump and his family very rich. His two favourite hobbies ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-bidding-to-buy-warner-bros-discovery/1025425/27 "2025-12-09T04:35:35Z")
Holy shit would Netflix be better than Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and UAE buying WB with Fascism-compliant Paramount in charge. There’s no good option here but there are worse options. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-bidding-to-buy-warner-bros-discovery/1025425/28 "2025-12-09T04:37:17Z")
Yeah I don’t even know who to root for. Seriously fuck this timeline. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-bidding-to-buy-warner-bros-discovery/1025425/29 "2025-12-09T04:46:34Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Well golly, I wonder which direction Trump’s gonna lean on this one. Don’t be too hasty, that will depend on how many of the billions, Kushner has undoubtedly been paid to make this happen, he sends Trump’s way. He’s not going to satisfied by just his daughters family getting paid, he will hold out for his cut too ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-bidding-to-buy-warner-bros-discovery/1025425/30 "2025-12-09T10:57:57Z")
It also helps that Larry Ellison is a big-time Trump supporter. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-bidding-to-buy-warner-bros-discovery/1025425/31 "2025-12-09T19:58:48Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Holy shit would Netflix be better than Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and UAE buying WB with Fascism-compliant Paramount in charge. There’s no good option here but there are worse options. Maybe we can brainstorm some _even worse_ options: Let China and ByteDance aquire WB and merge it with TikTok Let Russia Today back in and then let them acquire WB There, now the prospect of a Saudi Prince controlling WB doesn’t seem so bad! ---
**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-bidding-to-buy-warner-bros-discovery/1025425/32 "2025-12-09T23:31:30Z")
Truth+ is looking for some streaming content. > **[I Checked Out Trump’s Unhinged Streaming Site. Then Charlie Kirk Was Shot....](https://slate.com/technology/2025/09/donald-trump-truth-social-streaming-service-charlie-kirk.html)** > > Truth+ exposes the grift and grief at the heart of Trump’s big media bet. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-bidding-to-buy-warner-bros-discovery/1025425/33 "2025-12-09T23:36:09Z")
> [@dougrb](#): > > Truth+ is looking for some streaming conten This has very little to do with the article (which I’ll read in just a sec), but I absolutely _detest_ the headline formulation “I/They did X. Then Y happened…” Eta: oh, great - I didn’t even get to the part where “They checked out Trump’s unhinged streaming site”, much less to the part where “Then Charlie Kirk was shot”, before hitting a “This article is only for Slate Plus members”. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2025, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-bidding-to-buy-warner-bros-discovery/1025425/34 "2025-12-10T15:55:33Z")
Came across this YouTube short which was pretty amusing: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/amNgmGvLqyk/maxresdefault.jpg "movie intros in 2026") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amNgmGvLqyk) ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2025, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-bidding-to-buy-warner-bros-discovery/1025425/35 "2025-12-11T09:16:23Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > That’s why nearly all the Netflix-produced stuff looks exactly the same — it’s all flatly-lit, indifferently-graded, digital-sheen sludge, because this is what’s most compatible with their brutal video-compression algorithm. Writers also suffer under Netflix, [of course](https://uk.pcmag.com/video-streaming-services/156071/netflix-is-telling-writers-to-dumb-down-shows-since-viewers-are-on-their-phones); > Multiple screenwriters report that company executives are sending back scripts with requests to narrate the action, such as announcing when characters enter the room. > > … > > One example of black-and-white dialogue cited by N+1 is the 2024 Lindsay Lohan Netflix flick _Irish Wish_. At one point, Lohan tells her love interest, James: "We spent a day together. I admit it was a beautiful day filled with dramatic vistas and romantic rain, but that doesn’t give you the right to question my life choices. Tomorrow, I’m marrying Paul Kennedy.” Superficially, this is because Netflix is aware the most of its viewers are looking at their phones/tablets and the TV is the ‘second screen’, thus they need to keep reminding people what is happening. More fundamentally, this is because Netflix has basically given up on the idea that it can make TV that will hold people’s attention. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2025, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-bidding-to-buy-warner-bros-discovery/1025425/36 "2025-12-11T09:43:44Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > [Well golly, I wonder which direction Trump’s gonna lean on this one.](https://www.nbcnews.com/business/media/paramount-hostile-bid-warner-bros-discovery-rcna247993) > > > In a federal securities filing, Paramount said the hostile bid will be backed in part by funds from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, **as well as Affinity Partners, an investment firm founded by Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.** > > Bolding mine. Aside from that, Paramount’s chairman and CEO is crazy Trumpist David Ellison. Putting that lunatic in control of both CNN and HBO would be extremely bad news, depending on how hands-on he wanted to get. ---
**Author:** ![dimike333](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dimike333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dimike333)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2025, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-bidding-to-buy-warner-bros-discovery/1025425/37 "2025-12-11T10:22:06Z")
It sounds like a big move if it goes through. A merger like that would change how people use the two platforms because the libraries overlap in some places and differ a lot in others. The price of the combined service and the way they handle existing HBO Max accounts will matter most for users. I am curious how they plan to keep both brands or if they fold everything into one app. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2025, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-bidding-to-buy-warner-bros-discovery/1025425/38 "2025-12-11T10:47:30Z")
I’m still hoping the Sheinhardt Wig Company will put in a bid. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-bidding-to-buy-warner-bros-discovery/1025425/39 "2026-02-27T00:01:57Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > > [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > > > [Well golly, I wonder which direction Trump’s gonna lean on this one.](https://www.nbcnews.com/business/media/paramount-hostile-bid-warner-bros-discovery-rcna247993) > > > > > In a federal securities filing, Paramount said the hostile bid will be backed in part by funds from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, **as well as Affinity Partners, an investment firm founded by Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.** > > > > Bolding mine. > > Aside from that, Paramount’s chairman and CEO is crazy Trumpist David Ellison. Putting that lunatic in control of both CNN and HBO would be extremely bad news, depending on how hands-on he wanted to get. Yep, and now Netflix has backed out of the bidding: > **[Netflix drops out of bidding after WBD deems Paramount’s takeover bid...](https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/26/media/netflix-ted-sarandos-trump-white-house-paramount-wbd)** > > Netflix said Thursday afternoon that it has “declined to raise its offer for Warner Bros.” after the Warner Bros. Discovery board determined that Paramount has submitted a “superior” offer. So the lunatics are indeed taking over the media, and I can see Trump’s little tiny hands all over this latest development that he had initially promised to stay out of. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-bidding-to-buy-warner-bros-discovery/1025425/40 "2026-02-27T05:51:47Z")
This is a very, very bad thing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-bidding-to-buy-warner-bros-discovery/1025425.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-bidding-to-buy-warner-bros-discovery/1025425.md?page=3)