1 of 1- RadioActive
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Netflix Upturns The TV Industry With Astonishing Move
Netflix, the little company that started by mailing out movies to a relatively small number of subscribers, just hit an even bigger league. The streamer is buying production giant Warner Bros., including HBO. The deal is worth over $82 billion.
This elevates Netflix, already one of the leading streaming services in North America, into another orbit. It means it will also make HBO available to current subscribers in the U.S. It's less certain what happens in Canada, since Bell owns the rights to that pay cable network here.
It's a very big deal, since Warner Bros. turns out a ton of programming for TV networks down south. For now, the company says it will maintain the status quo. But you have to wonder if it will stop providing shows to the NBCs and CBS's of the world in the future, completely upending a system that has been in place for decades.
Netflix considers it a win-win, especially for subscribers.
“By adding the deep film and TV libraries and HBO and HBO Max programming, Netflix members will have even more high-quality titles from which to choose,” the company said. “This also allows Netflix to optimize its plans for consumers, enhancing viewing options and expanding access to content.”
Netflix to Buy Warner Bros. and HBO Max in $82.7 Billion Deal
- Chrisphen
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Re: Netflix Upturns The TV Industry With Astonishing Move
This will likely be disastrous for theatrical and physical distribution.
- LOSat
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Re: Netflix Upturns The TV Industry With Astonishing Move
Bell Media is probably crapping as well. There goes access to HBO programming once their contracts end.
- Radiowiz
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Re: Netflix Upturns The TV Industry With Astonishing Move
Okay, now I want this whole deal to be explained to me by the Animaniacs! 
Last edited by Radiowiz (December 5, 2025 10:10 am)
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Re: Netflix Upturns The TV Industry With Astonishing Move
If you're at all curious about just how much programming comes from Warner Bros., here's a small list of shows it produces:
The Pitt (HBO)
Brilliant Minds (NBC)
George & Mandy's First Marriage (CBS)
Rescue: Hi Surf (Fox)
Night Court (NBC)
Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Superman & Lois (The CW)
The Bachelor (ABC)
The Voice (NBC)
The Real Housewives of NYC (Bravo)
And that's a few of its mostly current shows. It also owns the rights to literally hundreds of old TV shows like The Waltons, The Wonder Years, The Lucy Show, Wonder Woman and The Drew Carey Show. And that doesn't even scratch the surface.
This has the potential to upend the way TV is run for a long, long time. Not to mention opening up new programming vistas for Netflix itself.
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Thread Starter- paterson1
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Re: Netflix Upturns The TV Industry With Astonishing Move
Mind you, there are also regulatory and political hurdles that will need to be approved for all of this to happen... From Deadline..Netflix Banking On Overcoming The Trump Factor In Warner Bros. Deal
- RadioActive
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Re: Netflix Upturns The TV Industry With Astonishing Move
LOSat wrote:
Bell Media is probably crapping as well. There goes access to HBO programming once their contracts end.
And Rogers has some of the Discovery programming on its City TV+ streaming service. Could they lose access to that, as well, when the contract ends?
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Thread Starter- paterson1
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Re: Netflix Upturns The TV Industry With Astonishing Move
Too early to worry about Bell and Rogers. CNN reports approvals and any changes won't happen until into 2027. More consolidation will happen in 2026 I bet. This likely doesn't bode well for movie theatres or broadcast TV.
- torontostan
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Re: Netflix Upturns The TV Industry With Astonishing Move
Bell Media is probably crapping as well. There goes access to HBO programming once their contracts end.
And Rogers has some of the Discovery programming on its City TV+ streaming service. Could they lose access to that, as well, when the contract ends?
Discovery's cable channels will be their own entity by end of next year anyways, that part was already in the works