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Netflix will be purchasing the famous Hollywood studio, Warner Bros, in a $72 billion deal, but what will it mean for other Warner Bros streaming services?
On Friday, December 5, Netflix announced that it has agreed to acquire Warner Bros., including its film and television studios, HBO Max, and HBO. Warner bros is home of huge films, new and old, such as “Superman,” “Casablanca” and the “Harry Potter” franchise, as well as HBO’s iconic TV shows, including “Game of Thrones,” “The Sopranos” and “The White Lotus.”
This deal is valued at $27.75 per WBD share, with a total enterprise value of approximately $82.7 billion (equity value of $72.0 billion) according to Netflix. Comcast and Paramount also placed bids.
This deal sparks the question: What does that mean for subscribers who have a Disney+ bundle with HBO Max? Does that mean Netflix will absorb all streaming services or will they remain separate?
Disney currently has a deal with Warner Bros Discovery to offer a bundle in the United States, offering Disney+, Hulu and HBO Max at a discounted rate. If Netflix decides to eventually close down HBO Max, moving all of its content into Netflix, this bundle’s future is now in question.
Netflix says the new deal will offer more choice, more opportunities and more value, so the hope is that if the Disney bundle does go away, hopefully Netflix will come up with other bundle options.
In their press release, Netflix states that by adding the deep film and TV libraries and HBO and HBO Max programming, Netflix members will have even more high-quality titles from which to choose. “This also allows Netflix to optimize its plans for consumers, enhancing viewing options and expanding access to content.”
The separation of WBD’s Global Networks division, Discovery Global, into a new publicly-traded company is now expected to be completed in Q3 2026. This new company will include all of the linear channels, such as CNN, and the streaming platform, Discovery+.
The transaction is expected to close in 12-18 months.
The details of which streaming services will be affected haven’t been decided yet. Customers who have bundled with Disney+ are okay for now.
The current Disney+ bundle includes Disney+, Hulu and HBO Max for $19.99 a month with ads or $32.99 a month without ads.
