Top News:
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Sources: Ted Sarandos met with President Trump in November, and both agreed WBD should go to the highest bidder; Sarandos argued that Netflix wasn't a monopoly — Netflix Inc. co-Chief Executive Officer Ted Sarandos ventured to the White House in mid-November for a meeting with President Donald Trump.
Discussion:
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Bloomberg:
President Trump says Netflix's planned acquisition of WBD will have “to go through a process” and he will be personally involved in the decision-making process — President Donald Trump said Netflix Inc.'s planned acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. will require a review …
Discussion:
Reuters, Business Insider, UPI, The Statesman, Investing.com, Dow Jones Newswires, Benzinga, Wall Street Journal, The Wrap, Newsweek, NBC Bay Area, Screen, Deadline, Newsmax, Variety, BBC, World of Reel, Bloomberg Law, NBC News, Just Jared, The American Spectator, NPR, The Movie Blog, Business Hallmark and One America News Network, more at Techmeme »
Joe Flint / Wall Street Journal:
WBD CEO David Zaslav, criticized for cutting costs, scrapping movies, and laying off thousands, may end up having the last laugh thanks to the Netflix-WBD deal — Long Hollywood's punching bag, the CEO is shaking up the industry with a blockbuster deal — David Zaslav is finally having his moment.
Discussion:
Australian Financial Review, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap, Business Insider, Deadline, Puck and The Indian Express
Financial Times:
Sources: WBD's board wanted a proposal it could sign immediately, and Netflix was the only bidder whose paperwork was fully executable the night of December 4 — Old-guard Hollywood underestimated streaming pioneer that has upended the industry over two decades
Discussion:
Australian Financial Review, BMI, Crikey, Paul Kedrosky, @GhostOnTheHalfShell@masto.ai, ABC, adnews.com.au, The Straits Times, Fox Business, Le Monde, Slate, The Guardian, New York Times, TRT World, Boardroom, dailyjournal.com, Bloomberg, BBC, KEYE, Northeastern Global News, New York Sun, Wired, Daily Mail, The Direct, Barchart.com, Associated Press and Yahoo Finance
Daniel Thomas / Financial Times:
Netflix agrees to acquire WBD's studios and streaming business in an $82.7B cash-and-stock deal, including debt, to close after WBD splits in two in Q3 2026 — As part of the deal, WBD will continue with plan to spin off its cable television networks — Netflix has agreed an $83bn takeover …
Discussion:
About Netflix, Washington Post, New York Times, @paulguinnessy.bsky.social, TechCrunch, Dow Jones Newswires, Alberto Onetti on LinkedIn, @mbrandolph, @michaelcollado, John Gallaugher on LinkedIn, Yahoo Finance, New York Times, The Motley Fool, Los Angeles Times, CNN, @austincarr, The Hollywood Reporter, @pkafka, @netflix, Raman Kumar Parepalli on LinkedIn, The Guardian, Reuters, Reuters, Status, Jonah Zalken on LinkedIn, @themorrancave.bsky.social, Blaze Media, Axios, Press Association, Benzinga, Bounding Into Comics, The Daily Signal, Washington Post, iDrop News, Deadline, Breitbart, Ben Keen on LinkedIn, Charlotte Crouch on LinkedIn, Jasmeet Sidhu on LinkedIn, Al Jazeera, @parismarx.com, Daring Fireball, @shaundai.com, The Daily Caller, Channel NewsAsia, A Lovely Way to Spend …, @thefienprint.bsky.social, RNZ, @carnage4life.bsky.social, @vinsonlovescomics.bsky.social, @karlbode.com, @Holberg@mstdn.social, @tweak@ohai.social, NPR, @robertscotthorton.bsky.social, TechCrunch, @jonathancohn.bsky.social, @droog811.bsky.social, Deadline, @bretbatson.bsky.social, @kambole.bsky.social, @peter-eller10.bsky.social, @leafwarbler.bsky.social, @jackcarterbenjamin …, @Knoebel@mastodon.social, @mgsiegler.com, @valiuz.bsky.social, @jakevk.bsky.social, @uppergwladysblu.bsky.social, Deadline, @lewisgoodall.com, @joshsternberg.com, @irishoutsider.bsky.social and @thebarrylad.bsky.social
Variety:
The WGA, which routinely opposes media mergers, says the Netflix-WBD deal must be blocked, and the Producers and Directors guilds express concern over the deal
Discussion:
Financial Times, GIANT FREAKIN ROBOT, IndieWire, New York Times, Gizmodo, @sharonwaxman, Breitbart, The Hollywood Reporter, Mirror US, Pressing Issues, Media Play News, wga.org, Deadline, mxdwn Television, The A.V. Club, Techdirt, The Ankler, Washington Post, Washington Examiner, Mediaite, Michael Tsai, ProtoThema English, Digital Music News, Deadline, Bloomberg, The Wrap, TVNewsCheck, Screen, NBC News, Esquire, Screen Rant, Truth on the Market, SFist, Time, Common Dreams and Deadline
Bloomberg:
Netflix secured $59B in bridge financing from Wells Fargo, BNP Paribas, and HSBC for its WBD bid, one of the largest loans of its kind; Wells' share is $29.5B
Netflix secured $59B in bridge financing from Wells Fargo, BNP Paribas, and HSBC for its WBD bid, one of the largest loans of its kind; Wells' share is $29.5B
Discussion:
Financial Times, Paula Seligson on LinkedIn, SiliconANGLE, Fortune, Associated Press and Inc.com
Nicole Sperling / New York Times:
Netflix's WBD bid marks a striking strategy shift for a company long known for pivots, especially after years of avoiding full commitment to theatrical releases
Netflix's WBD bid marks a striking strategy shift for a company long known for pivots, especially after years of avoiding full commitment to theatrical releases
Discussion:
The Movie Blog, GIANT FREAKIN ROBOT, Forbes, Screen, Screen Rant, @mgsiegler, @laurenshirsch, Variety, Instapundit, Vulture, No Film School, Decider, Los Angeles Times, /Film, Den of Geek, MakeUseOf, San Francisco Chronicle, Deadline, CNBC, Mashable and Spyglass
Jody Godoy / Reuters:
Congressional Democrats and Republicans criticize the Netflix-WBD deal, saying it would raise streaming subscription prices and lessen workers' pay and control
Congressional Democrats and Republicans criticize the Netflix-WBD deal, saying it would raise streaming subscription prices and lessen workers' pay and control
Discussion:
BIG by Matt Stoller, The Economic Times, Livemint, Yahoo Finance, The Japan Times, ZeroHedge News, Daily Sabah, IGN, The Wrap, The Independent, @mattgaetz, @rogermarshallmd, @berniesanders, CNN, Just Jared, Variety, Forbes, Reuters, International Business Times, Reason, Wall Street Journal, @editorialboard.bsky.social, Newsmax, Bloomberg, Deadline, The Guardian, Consequence, mxdwn Television, Observer, CampaignUs, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren …, Quartz, CBS News, Channel NewsAsia, Silicon Valley Business … and The Hill
John Koblin / New York Times:
The Netflix-WBD deal should quiet concerns, for now, from CNN employees worried about the prospect of Paramount combining CBS News and CNN in a WBD acquisition — The prospect of Paramount's buying Warner Bros. Discovery had led CNN journalists to wonder if the channel may be combined with CBS News.
Discussion:
Semafor, Washington Post, Straight Arrow News, Forbes, Mock Paper Scissors, World of Reel, TVNewsCheck and Mirror US
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Oliver Darcy / Status:
Sources: David Ellison's interference in WBD's failed summer talks to extend HBO Max's South Park licensing deal left David Zaslav distrustful of Ellison — Over the summer, David Zaslav was deep in negotiations with Paramount over “South Park,” hoping to extend HBO Max's licensing deal for the popular program.
Matt Donnelly / Variety:
A look at the auction for the Oscars' TV rights, as sources say Netflix is out, NBCUniversal gains ground, and YouTube and ABC remain active bidders — There are eight weeks left on the holy Hollywood awards calendar until Oscar nominations are announced, and it's not just artists and craftspeople hunting for trophies.
Discussion:
The Hollywood Reporter, Screen Rant, Offscreen Central, The A.V. Club, Deadline, @discussingfilm.net and World of Reel
Kat Tenbarge / Wired:
Some Reddit moderators say a surge of AI slop on the site is eroding its authenticity and could lead to a feedback loop of AI models training on AI content — Reddit is considered one of the most human spaces left on the internet, but mods and users are overwhelmed with slop posts in the most popular subreddits.
Dominic-Madori Davis / TechCrunch:
A look at Hamlet, a startup that uses AI to process local government meeting videos and which plans to provide the tool to local journalists for free — The launch of Hamlet was quite personal for Sunil Rajaraman. — Back in 2022, he ran for city council in a small California town.
Discussion:
Plain Dealer and Mariesa Lenz on LinkedIn
Isabella Simonetti / Wall Street Journal:
Vanity Fair and Olivia Nuzzi agree to part ways and let her contract expire at the end of the year, following new allegations about her affair with RFK Jr. — Nuzzi joined the magazine as an editor earlier this year — Vanity Fair and Olivia Nuzzi have agreed to part ways following …
Discussion:
Liberal Currents, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Associated Press, @bryancurtis, @tomgara@threads.com, Politico, Blaze Media, Business Insider, Newser, @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social, New York Daily News, RADAR, @ericmgarcia.bsky.social, Northeastern Global News, DNYUZ, The National Pulse, @davelevitan.bsky.social, Mediaite, @bgrueskin.bsky.social, The Guardian, @alexshultz.bsky.social, The Independent, @zeeshanaleem.bsky.social, @joshsternberg.com, New York Post, The Hill, The Wrap, @bselena.bsky.social, @mbkplus.bsky.social, Fox News and r/Journalism
Pamela McClintock / The Hollywood Reporter:
A look at Paramount's culture shift under David Ellison, where the focus is on male-driven action movies, and not on prestige films seen as critics' darlings — It's a brand-new day at the legacy studio, where prestige films are out, testosterone-heavy tentpoles are in and Brett Ratner is back on the call sheet.
Chris Kerr / Game Developer:
WBD confirms that Warner Bros. Games will be acquired by Netflix along with its wider streaming and television business — A Warner Bros. spokesperson has confirmed the video game division will be acquired by Netflix alongside its wider streaming and television business.
Discussion:
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Katie Campione / Deadline:
SAG-AFTRA puts off taking a position on the Netflix-WBD deal but says a deal benefiting its members “must result in more creation and more production, not less”
SAG-AFTRA puts off taking a position on the Netflix-WBD deal but says a deal benefiting its members “must result in more creation and more production, not less”
Discussion:
@variety, Adweek, The Wrap, USA Today, Financial Times, The Hollywood Reporter, The Times, Yahoo Finance, MediaPost, The Streamable and Business Insider
