Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros. for 83 Billion US Dollars
Image provided by: Netflix, Inc.
(eap) Upheaval in the media landscape: As announced today in a joint statement, US streaming service provider Netflix plans to acquire the long-established media and entertainment group Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) – an agreement to this effect has already been reached. The sale includes both the film and television studios in Hollywood and the streaming division HBO Max, which also belongs to WBD. The transaction is valued at approximately $82.7 billion (approximately €71 billion). Netflix is offering $27.75 per WBD share. The acquisition is expected to close at the end of 2026.
In addition to the Hollywood studios and the streaming service HBO Max, the parent company WBD also owns several television stations, including the news channel CNN. However, this is not part of the deal. WBD plans to spin off the TV channels into a new publicly-traded company in Q3 2026. With the acquisition, Netflix secures the rights to series such as “Harry Potter” and “Game of Thrones”, among others. Other popular franchises, series, and films such as “The Big Bang Theory”, “The Sopranos”, “The Wizard of Oz”, and the DC universe will thus complement Netflix’s existing portfolio, which already includes well-known formats such as “Wednesday”, “Money Heist”, “Bridgerton”, “Adolescence”, and “Extraction”.
“This acquisition will improve our offering and accelerate our business for decades to come,” continued Greg Peters, co-CEO of Netflix. “Warner Bros. has helped define entertainment for more than a century and continues to do so with phenomenal creative executives and production capabilities. With our global reach and proven business model, we can introduce a broader audience to the worlds they create – giving our members more options, attracting more fans to our best-in-class streaming service, strengthening the entire entertainment industry and creating more value for shareholders.”
“Today’s announcement combines two of the greatest storytelling companies in the world to bring to even more people the entertainment they love to watch the most,” said David Zaslav, President and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery. ■
