What you’ll want to know
- Netflix’s acquisition of Warner Bros. raises shopper considerations about potential worth hikes and content material high quality.
- Critics concern HBO’s status programming and present reveals could also be jeopardized below Netflix’s possession.
- Social media buzzes with memes, however regulatory approvals are nonetheless pending for the $82.7 billion deal.
Netflix acquired Warner Bros. this morning in a historic $82.7 billion deal, and whereas it looks as if a superb transfer for each events, it has undoubtedly sparked a frenzy amongst shoppers and the broader streaming trade. Though change usually comes with some pushback, this explicit deal has sparked widespread concern concerning the subscriber’s place within the new streaming panorama.
A number of customers took to Reddit to share their ideas concerning the acquisition, and lots of feedback had been essential, specializing in the unfavourable influence on the streaming expertise and their wallets.
Among the many most typical points mentioned had been potential worth hikes for the streaming service or for HBO’s content material changing into an “add-on” service for an additional cost, whereas holding Netflix’s costs intact. One person mentioned, “$40 per 30 days HBOflix incoming,” whereas one other mentioned, “Def see one other worth improve coming quickly. They gotta pay for that 83bn in some way.”
Whereas sources near the negotiations advised Reuters that “the potential mixture of its streaming service with HBO Max would profit shoppers by decreasing the price of a bundled providing,” this nonetheless would not appear to be convincing individuals at massive.
Netflix shopping for WARNER BROS. means CINEMA as we all know is OVER 😭#Netflix #WarnerBros #Memes https://t.co/cxh1crZBx8 pic.twitter.com/HRDHQOXIGsDecember 5, 2025
Then again, a number of took to social media to debate how this main acquisition will have an effect on the sort of content material HBO Max affords. Whereas HBO’s content material could get a brand new house and presumably a bigger viewership base, many customers expressed concern, noting that Netflix will “screw up” the high-quality, status programming related to HBO. In the meantime, others pleaded with Netflix to “let HBO do its factor” and urged Netflix to not “contact HBO.”
Talking of content material, one person was additionally involved that there might be potential cancellation of current reveals and the “demise of conventional movie distribution,” with some predicting “Rip motion pictures. Rip theatrical releases. Rip theaters.” However in accordance with the CBC, Netflix has reportedly assured Warner Bros. Discovery that it’ll proceed to launch the studio’s motion pictures in theaters.
I count on that you simply’re going to make the Snow sequence and switch it into one thing like this pic.twitter.com/rgXOWy0eohDecember 5, 2025
Moreover, of us are additionally speaking about how Netflix’s content-suggestion algorithm largely depends on content material just like what they’ve already watched. This retains them caught in Netflix’s algorithm, so to talk, with the danger of viewers lacking out on difficult content material that HBO is thought for.
That mentioned, whereas individuals had been getting severe about this deal, others simply took it in stride and had enjoyable with the announcement on social media, creating memes and crossover worlds, assume Stranger Issues x DC or a present simply devoted to Jon Snow’s white direwolf companion in “Recreation of Thrones.”
That mentioned, this deal continues to be topic to regulatory approvals from antitrust and competitors regulators in the USA (particularly the Division of Justice, or DOJ) and the European Union (EU), so it stays to be seen how this pans out within the subsequent a number of months.
