The End of Hollywood - Netflix’s $83B Warner Bros. Deal Could Redefine Hollywood Forever
Warner Bros. has changed hands multiple times over the decades. Owners have included Time Inc., AOL, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, and AT&T. Each transition reshaped the studio’s direction, but none as dramatically as this proposed deal.
Netflix started in 1999 as a DVD-by-mail service. By 2013, it began producing its own films and series, challenging Hollywood’s dominance. Traditional studios initially dismissed streaming, clinging to their 'cascade' model—monetising films through cinemas, movies, DVDs, and free TV. Their back catalogues, or film libraries, funded new projects for years.
Hollywood eventually fought back, but streaming’s rise proved unstoppable. Netflix’s bid for Warner Bros. follows a failed $72 billion merger attempt, which boards approved but critics called a push toward monopolisation. Other potential buyers, like Paramount and Comcast, were rumoured but never finalised deals.
Under co-CEO Ted Sarandos, Netflix has promised to keep Warner Bros. operating independently. Theatrical releases will continue, but the studio’s vast content library will now feed Netflix’s streaming platform. Disney, the only major studio left largely untouched, is still undergoing its own restructuring.
The $83 billion deal awaits regulatory approval before it can close. If successful, Netflix will gain decades of Warner Bros. movies and shows, reinforcing its streaming dominance. Meanwhile, Hollywood’s traditional model—built on cinemas, physical media, and TV licensing—will fade further into history.
