Netflix buys Warner Brothers (including HBO)

[Goldstar88]

I?m glad paramount is (likely) acquiring. Netflix doesn?t put out much good content these days. Strangers Things was decent, but that?s over now. Paramount has a lot of quality shows. I feel like the people who run Netflix would have ruined HBO.

If Netflix had won they likely would have left HBO as is and offered a discount for subscribing to both services which would have been to my benefit. 

I don't feel compelled to pay for Paramount.  other than Star Trek series, I haven't seen anything currently that interests me.

Some of their top rated shows: Dexter, MobLand, Tulsa King, Mayor of Kingstown, 1923, Lioness, Landman, 1888, The Offer, Seal Team.

[slamtheking]

I?m glad paramount is (likely) acquiring. Netflix doesn?t put out much good content these days. Strangers Things was decent, but that?s over now. Paramount has a lot of quality shows. I feel like the people who run Netflix would have ruined HBO.

If Netflix had won they likely would have left HBO as is and offered a discount for subscribing to both services which would have been to my benefit. 

I don't feel compelled to pay for Paramount.  other than Star Trek series, I haven't seen anything currently that interests me.

Some of their top rated shows: Dexter, MobLand, Tulsa King, Mayor of Kingstown, 1923, Lioness, Landman, 1888, The Offer, Seal Team.

Lioness and Mobland I've seen.  Lioness was very good

[dannyboy35]

So what happened in the end? Netflix was all set to buy, then Trump complains and Paramount offers an amount, now Netflix no longer wants to buy? Seems like there's some fishy behind the scenes going on although, to be honest, I don't care as much about these corporate drama. The only thing I don't like is the less competition there is, the more expensive these streaming services can be.

No, Netflix and Paramount both wanted it.  Netflix did not want the whole company tho (they had no interest in CNN, for example) while Paramount wanted everything.  Paramount raised its bid a couple of times, and Netflix stuck at its original number.  The slightly surprising thing was Netflix walking away when the WB board still seemed inclined to accept Netflix offer even after the most recent Paramount price raise, but my guess is they were getting cold feet and the latest round gave them an out.

It is unclear what will happen at the federal level with this.  The head of the DOJ antitrust division stepped down last month after she complained that there was too much political interference going on (not necessarily about this merger).  I have worked with DOJ on several telecom and media mergers, in multiple administrations, and many of the staff I worked with, most especially one in leadership, are still there, so my guess is at least initially it will be given a close look (and indeed, already is receiving that review).  A review of this size will probably take until the end of this year, and then there will either be an agreement to let the merger go through after either a divestment or some other conditions, or the DOJ will sue to stop.

State attorneys general, most obviously California with the Hollywood connection, but also others, may sue to stop it themselves if the DOJ does not act.  (We saw that in the first Trump administration with Sprint and T-Mobile, for example, although their suit was unsuccessful because the Court found that conditions imposed by the federal government were sufficient to limit the potential harms).  So my guess is this will go to the Courts one way or the other, unless Paramount makes a lot of concessions to appease the Feds and the States.

translate that into:
Most Likely - change CNN to a Fox-News clone or at the least canning Trump's critics and becoming Fox-lite
Quite Possible - cancel anti-Trump programming on HBO such as Bill Maher and John Oliver.
Probably Not But Wouldnt Be Surprised - Add a Trump-like character to House of the Dragon that can fly on dragons and decimate free villages not under his thumb with dragon fire.   

  I definitely lean left but to be fair I think it?s the left that has ruined films for a long time now injecting messages in an incredibly clumsy fashion. I feel really bad that more people will lose their jobs with Paramount being a legacy type of business like WB but happy for movies in general. Netflix does not care about quality and was going to sink the theatre experience quicker. I was so tired of the left side ruining franchises like Star Wars.

[Kernewek]

So what happened in the end? Netflix was all set to buy, then Trump complains and Paramount offers an amount, now Netflix no longer wants to buy? Seems like there's some fishy behind the scenes going on although, to be honest, I don't care as much about these corporate drama. The only thing I don't like is the less competition there is, the more expensive these streaming services can be.

No, Netflix and Paramount both wanted it.  Netflix did not want the whole company tho (they had no interest in CNN, for example) while Paramount wanted everything.  Paramount raised its bid a couple of times, and Netflix stuck at its original number.  The slightly surprising thing was Netflix walking away when the WB board still seemed inclined to accept Netflix offer even after the most recent Paramount price raise, but my guess is they were getting cold feet and the latest round gave them an out.

It is unclear what will happen at the federal level with this.  The head of the DOJ antitrust division stepped down last month after she complained that there was too much political interference going on (not necessarily about this merger).  I have worked with DOJ on several telecom and media mergers, in multiple administrations, and many of the staff I worked with, most especially one in leadership, are still there, so my guess is at least initially it will be given a close look (and indeed, already is receiving that review).  A review of this size will probably take until the end of this year, and then there will either be an agreement to let the merger go through after either a divestment or some other conditions, or the DOJ will sue to stop.

State attorneys general, most obviously California with the Hollywood connection, but also others, may sue to stop it themselves if the DOJ does not act.  (We saw that in the first Trump administration with Sprint and T-Mobile, for example, although their suit was unsuccessful because the Court found that conditions imposed by the federal government were sufficient to limit the potential harms).  So my guess is this will go to the Courts one way or the other, unless Paramount makes a lot of concessions to appease the Feds and the States.

translate that into:
Most Likely - change CNN to a Fox-News clone or at the least canning Trump's critics and becoming Fox-lite
Quite Possible - cancel anti-Trump programming on HBO such as Bill Maher and John Oliver.
Probably Not But Wouldnt Be Surprised - Add a Trump-like character to House of the Dragon that can fly on dragons and decimate free villages not under his thumb with dragon fire.   

  I definitely lean left but to be fair I think it?s the left that has ruined films for a long time now injecting messages in an incredibly clumsy fashion. I feel really bad that more people will lose their jobs with Paramount being a legacy type of business like WB but happy for movies in general. Netflix does not care about quality and was going to sink the theatre experience quicker. I was so tired of the left side ruining franchises like Star Wars.

This is incredible.

[Moranis]

Netflix shows are much better than the Paramount shows, even including Showtime and CBS.  There is some really good stuff on Netlfix and they do a good job with non-American produced content. 

[Goldstar88]

Netflix shows are much better than the Paramount shows, even including Showtime and CBS.  There is some really good stuff on Netlfix and they do a good job with non-American produced content.

Some of the older series are good on Netflix such as Narcos, Peaky Blinders, The Crown, etc. Other than Stranger things, they really haven?t had much in a while.

[Neurotic Guy]

WT

[Moranis]

Netflix shows are much better than the Paramount shows, even including Showtime and CBS.  There is some really good stuff on Netlfix and they do a good job with non-American produced content.

Some of the older series are good on Netflix such as Narcos, Peaky Blinders, The Crown, etc. Other than Stranger things, they really haven?t had much in a while.

House of Guinness is awesome as is Nobody Wants This, 3 Body Problem, Night Agent, Department Q.  Ive enjoyed the Witcher though I k ow that one is more mixed.   Lots of very good shows on Netflix.  They do a good job with the production value and original stuff.

For what it is even Bridgerton is well done.

Also, I'd really recommend Death By Lightening.  It is a 4 episode series.  So more like a movie.  Really well done.   

Some of the foreign language stuff is good, but watching over dubbed or subtitled shows isn't for everything. Im currently watching Ragnarok.  A fun little show out of Norway.