Netflix to Buy Warner Bros. Discovery after Split for $72 Billion

Описание: Netflix has agreed to acquire the studio and streaming businesses of Warner Bros. Discovery (including HBO Max, DC Studios, and Warner Bros. Pictures) in a deal valued at $72 billion ($82.7 billion total enterprise value). The deal, expected to close in 12–18 months, follows a planned split, with WBD spinning off its linear networks (CNN, TNT) into "Discovery Global".
Key Details of the Merger (As of January 2026):
Transaction Structure: The deal is a mix of cash and stock, valued at $27.75 per share, creating a major consolidation in the media industry.
Assets Acquired: Netflix gains ownership of Warner Bros.' extensive film/TV library, HBO, and DC Universe.
Excluded Assets: WBD’s linear networks (e.g., CNN, TNT) are being spun off into a separate, publicly traded company, Discovery Global, in a process expected to complete in Q3 2026.
Strategic Rationale: Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos described this as a "rare opportunity" to acquire premium content, notes CNN Business.
Regulatory & Industry Reaction: The deal faces scrutiny from antitrust regulators and criticism from industry groups, such as the Writers Guild of America, who have called for the merger to be blocked.
This acquisition follows a intense, weeks-long bidding war against competitors like Paramount/Skydance and Comcast, according to Variety.