Netflix Enters Agreement To Buy Warner Bros. For $82 Billion, Includes Game Studios

Wow. Just wow. I never expected something like that to happen in my lifetime 🙁.

"In order to keep up our excellent service, we are increasing your subscription fee to € 30,00 per month. Please understand."

Netflix should go out of business. Hate their business model and I hate streaming.

Yay! Down with that pesky competition! The less players in the scene, the better!

The wider effects this would have on not just gaming but the whole entertainment industry is really concerning. Cinemas will likely be hit in a very serious way as Netflix will focus on making everything streaming based. It will also create less competition as it’s a major consolidation.

A huge move for streaming services.

@Elektrogeist1287

"Anything I don't like shouldn't exist!"

What a s***show the whole Warner Bros. Discovery merger has been.

Guess I'll have one combined bill from Netflix now. And I'll have to cut ties with my Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max bundle deal now.

This will be bad for the industry. It's not a done deal yet though, so hopefully it won't happen.

There goes HBO?

I’m sure this wonderful deal won’t result in a whole heap of layoffs…

Yay for more market concentration ... this was inevitable in some form, but it is still simply bad.

Not the worst of the prospective buyers, but is that really any consolation as we watch the continued monopolization of entertainment?

@Zaruboggan I just didn’t want Paramount to get it.

Please, for the love of God do not allow this merger.

@rockodoodle all the options are bad. HBO Max is without a doubt the best streaming service and all the other companies are worse. I pray this doesn't go through.

The company that has never put out a good original movie or show thinks they can shepard some of the biggest IPs ever.

This is the worst company to buy them outside some random Chinese company

@Dimjimmer Warner Bro was/is a dying company… It surprised they have survived this long after the decade they’ve had. They would have not survived another 10 years. This at least buys them another couple until Netflix realize they was worthless and tries to resell…

Well, on the bright side now any future Arkham games can’t be worse than that Suicide Squad game.

…right? Please?

Here comes the microtransaction and pay-to-play models.....

And here I thought things couldn't get worse for one of my favorite franchises, Mortal Kombat.

I am now just more pissed a Saudi Prince didn't want WB over EA.

99% of their streaming videos are garbage. It's like shopping at the dvd bargain bin at walmart. I hear lately they've been pushing some woke agenda with their shows aimed at children. Personally I find that disgusting.

Netflix was the neutral option: just the same bad things continuing to happen. Skydance Paramount is the bad one: things immediately getting much much worse. The REAL bad sign though was that COMCAST were the GOOD Option.

We can only hope that, in the confusion, a lion's share of the gameinf assets somehow end up at Wade Rosen's Atari (though now I'm remembering that his brother is the head of games at Nickelodeon, under Paramount, and my mind is putting two and two together and-)

Oh.

Oh no

so no more quality tv shows from hbo. this is awful for the future.

@FragRed This was my thought immediately. What does this mean for movie theatres? Will WB movies not be in theatres anymore? Or will they just keep them as separate brands? Theatre under WB, straight to streaming Netflix?

It's not a great move, but it's not like the games division of Warner Bros. could get much worse really.

@Truegamer79 What's a 'woke agenda'?

@SBandy1 not at all what I said, kid.

@Truegamer79 you’re just rambling nonsense.

Woo, more super consolidation. Because we all know how beneficial this is for the entertainment industry. Especially when it comes to jobs and creativity.

I'm worried for Lego Batman Legacy of the Dark Knight now

@Elektrogeist1287

It very much was.

Or you were just wishing hundreds of thousands out of jobs because you don't like streaming services?

How nice of you!

@Skunkfish "Woke" = "whatever I don't like"

@Gen4Fan Don't be. Most everything in development will still happen. Netflix should be a boon for the video game industry in the fact we should see plenty more DC games on the horizon.

I don't understand all the doom and gloom from so many people on this. Considering the other potential buyers, this is easily the best outcome.

@Truegamer79 woke agenda? What like E. T or The Goonies, i like these films about people who actually care for each other.
Enjoy your tariffs.

This is huge news! How is Netflix going to handle HBO if the deal is accepted? I imagine they would shut it down in favor of offering all content in Netflix which is a big plus for the platform since Netflix infra is a lot better. At the same time, this much content would likely require a price increase…

As for gaming division, I don’t really see them changing anything about it. It’s more of a bonus than the actual reason for this offer, I imagine. For us, diversifying the revenue with games could help hold the price of Netflix sub.

@Elektrogeist1287

Then why are people canceling Netflix in droves? Look it up. I'm not the only one fed up with it. Kids are confused enough without people pushing their ideals on others with their subliminal messages.

@Fake-news

Yes let's just assume that everyone against woke loves Tarrifs. I couldn't care less. I don't buy from outside America anyway.

@Truegamer79 You buy from outside America. You're just too dense to know it.

Next you'll be telling me kids shouldn't learn Arabic numerals in schools.

@JohnnyMind netflix is the worst option.
Look what they did to the witcher tomb raider splinter cell and devil may cry shows.
All if the sudden it had the biggest drop in viewers.
Also people that think everyone will keep there job will be looking at this later like microsoft just cutting 50.000 jobs in 1 year.

@Truegamer79 like the splinter cell .rap show.

Antitrust laws must be strengthened and strongly enforced to prevent these sorts of things from happening. Of course, the increasingly highly corrupt Trump regime in the United States is very unlikely to engage in such ethical behaviour.

We will all lose choices and quality will diminish as this process continues.

first netflix ruined castlevania by butchering the source material for season 2 now this.

With the corrupt administration in America I'm sure this deal will get approved for the right bribe. This is huge news and it's going to have a ripple effect in the entertainment industry. I'm curious to see how it all turns out.

Better than Paramount buying them but that's not saying much considering there's no such thing as a good monopoly for anyone that isn't already a billionaire.

@Truegamer79 What's your definition of "woke"? 🤔

Two industry giants getting a merger is hugely dangerous. We just get closer and closer to monopolies that can do whatever they please to drive up CEO profits. And of course Trump's FTC will do nothing to stop the merger (well, it might pause it until Netflix and Warner Bros. bribe Trump like the Paramount-Skydance merger).

@Truegamer79 "Then why are people cancelling Netflix in droves?" Oh I don't know, maybe it's the frequent price increases, the fact that most media producers pulled popular IPs to their own services, that people are using social media for entertainment more, or because people just can't afford it anymore. But no, by all means it must be that "woke" boogeyman that the honest internet people have told you to be afraid of. You don't even seem to have a concrete idea of what "woke" even means, just that it's some scary agenda that corrupts the minds of children.

@burninmylight Yep. These people are so ridiculous and pathetic. Anything with diversity enrages them which I find hilarious.😆 And it's always a red flag when someone yells about "protecting" children.😐 Those are the ones who usually have something incriminating on their hard drives and browser history. It's pretty much inevitable at this point

I thought they were getting out of games. Evidently not 🤷‍♂️

@Truegamer79 Think you've got the wrong comments section. IGN is that way.

@kfflscnt Massive layoffs are definitely happening when/if this deal is approved. That's not including the price hikes to consumers with Netflix, HBO Max, etc... Massive deals like this don't happen without consequences for anyone who isn't a shareholder. I'm sure some people will be happy with this deal and that's ridiculous in my opinion. This is going to be bad for consumers and employees of these companies. Seems like nothing was learned with the Microsoft and Activision merger.😐

Honestly hard to say if this is a good or bad thing for the gaming division. WB has historically been a terrible publisher. Most recently cutting off all support for Mortal Kombat 1 when it should have gotten at least another season. And they've done that with previous games in the series as well. But then Netflix could very likely be just as bad or worse.

@Truegamer79 "I don't buy outside America," says man on fan site for famously Japanese company.

Warner titles are about to go the way of Fox titles!
Banned and blocked and locked into obscurity! With only a tiny fraction to ever see the light of day on disk!

You'd think the FCC would have learned their lesson with the M$ / ActiBlizz merger!

So many jobs lost, IPs that are lost forever.

@OpheliaDynamight Dude literally has a Switch 2 on his avatar lol

@MattmanForever
Okay ill just see myself out then. Enjoy screwing up a whole generation of children. Rainbow flags for everyone! Yay!

@Truegamer79

I agree and most people here do not.

@Truegamer79 I think the fact that few of them have an economic path into adulthood is more of a concern than whatever they choose to identify as.

While I'm no fan of mass mergers, I'm so very thankful Netflix won over Paramount (given things).

Gentlemen, it was a pleasure, good night, see you around.

A very interesting development, to be sure. Granted, I don't like the idea of of major business conglomerates merging any more than the next person, but I do find it a bit ironic that what is a relative newcomer to the entertainment industry is buying out a longtime player in the business. It has to make me wonder what WBD's finances are like to the point where a company a fraction of its age is buying it out.

@JohnnyMind The thing you have to remember, though, is that Nintendo is a Japanese business first and foremost. Japanese work culture places a huge emphasis on company loyalty, especially when it comes to how they treat their employees. Basically, you're virtually guaranteed job security, especially in a big business like Nintendo.

Unfortunately, Western companies, especially those in America, do not operate like Japanese companies do, and will basically fire you if it means saving them a few pennies. Now, you can be somewhat protected if you are part of a union, but there has been a huge push to crush unions in this country since the 1980s, and many unions are now shells of their former selves.

Plus, virtually every state in America recognizes the concept of at-will employment, meaning that your employer can fire you at any time for any reason... or no reason at all. However, you can also quit at any time for any reason or no reason at all. Unfortunately, you have to be the one to give advance notice if you decide to leave, but your employer does not need to give any if they want to get rid of you, meaning that the balance of power in that regard is woefully skewed towards your employer.

So, while Japan is notorious for having long work hours, a terrible work-life balance, power harassment, an advancement system based more on age and seniority versus skill and merit, and a reluctance to accept resignations, no matter how warranted, you are at the very least guaranteed a job for the duration of your career as a worker compared to the West. I'm not saying it's a better system, but at the very least, I don't think it's any worse.

But that being said, I doubt that Netflix will pull a Nintendo and keep WBD's employees on board. More than likely, in order to please their shareholders, they will engage in mass firings to cut costs and increase their bottom line. It's a sad state of affairs, but it is the reality we live in.

I echo the sentiments of a handful of others in the comments, Paramount not getting this deal is the one positive in all this. But these gigantic mergers need to be stopped and not much good will come from this level of consolidation.

I see people complaining about Netflix, and I take no issue with people doing so. It just makes me laugh a little because I never bought into streaming services like Netflix. The funny part to me is thinking about how when I was a Netflix subscriber, it was for DVD by mail. And it was the early days of when they did that.

Play Batman only on Netflix!
😬

going to be a hard sell for antitrust reasons..

@Elektrogeist1287

"Netflix should go out of business."

Yes I'm the mental one.

@Truegamer79

"I don't buy from outside America anyway."

😂😂😂

Sums it up.

@Truegamer79 I am not defending this or Netflix in the slightest. But do you have any actual evidence, from a reputable source, that people are canceling Netflix in droves?

And it sounds like you were just itching to throw "woke" into a comment, when its quite clear you have no iota of an idea what you are actually griping about.

What a disgrace to see WB plummet like this - no good ever comes of these mega-acquisitions.

Hold onto your Batman games everyone!

I'm afraid this means the Midway Games IP will stay locked up in license purgatory for years to come.
Hey WB, why not split off and sell your Midway IP to the reborn Atari company (someone who can appreciate it)!

@Joe11 more likely this will restore HBO and undo the awful decisions made due to the discovery merger

@Ralek85 it is only inevitable if you’re a psychotic capitalist and that is your belief system.

These are choices made by people, not inevitabilities

@Truegamer79 please tell me more about this woke agenda, a with some specific examples ‘youve been hearing’.

@Truegamer79 your screenshot is literally of a Nintendo switch 2. A product that is not made in America. Nor are its games. How godamn stupid are you?

With all these acquisitions and mega corporate mergers, the hardworking employees and consumers are the ones who ultimately suffer. Also, another justification to sail the high seas, ifkyk.

Honestly as much as this sucks, I prefer Netflix to Paramount