Netflix Makes Cash Bid to Acquire Warner Bros Discovery — Report

Netflix Makes Cash Bid to Acquire Warner Bros Discovery — Report

Streaming giant Netflix has reportedly submitted a mostly cash-backed offer to acquire Warner Bros Discovery (WBD), as the iconic yet debt-burdened Hollywood company moves forward with a major sale that could reshape the global media and entertainment landscape.

According to a Bloomberg report on Monday, Netflix joined Paramount Skydance and Comcast—the parent company of NBCUniversal—in the second round of bidding, with negotiations said to have continued through the US Thanksgiving holiday.

WBD Officially Put Up for Sale After Unsolicited Offers

Warner Bros Discovery, parent company of HBO, CNN, and Warner Bros Studios, formally placed itself on the market in October after receiving several unsolicited expressions of interest.
The move effectively paused its earlier plan to split the corporation into two divisions—one focused on streaming and studios, and the other on cable networks.

Paramount, which was recently acquired by the billionaire Ellison family (behind Oracle), had initially set sights on acquiring WBD.
David Ellison, the Paramount CEO and a prominent Hollywood producer, made three separate offers for Warner Bros Discovery before WBD CEO David Zaslav launched the official auction process.

Netflix Preparing Massive Bridge Loan for Potential Purchase

With more than 280 million subscribers worldwide, Netflix is reportedly working with lenders to secure a multi-billion-dollar bridge loan to fund the acquisition, Bloomberg sources said.

Such a deal would significantly expand Netflix’s original content pipeline and give it control of some of Hollywood’s most valuable entertainment assets, including:

• HBO
• Warner Bros Studios
• CNN
• A vast catalogue of premium film and TV franchises

Antitrust Scrutiny Expected

Analysts warn that the acquisition—if successful—would face heavy scrutiny from regulators in the US and other key markets, given the potential impact on competition in streaming and theatrical distribution.

Several influential Hollywood figures have already signalled their opposition.
Legendary filmmaker James Cameron, in an episode of the podcast The Town, described the prospect of Netflix acquiring Warner Bros as “a disaster,” expressing concern that Netflix could further limit theatrical releases in favour of direct-to-streaming premieres.

No Official Response Yet

Netflix and Warner Bros Discovery have so far declined to comment on the report.

If confirmed, the deal would rank among the most transformative in recent entertainment industry history, with implications for Hollywood studios, global streaming markets, and cinema culture worldwide.

Source: AFP

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