Netflix and HBO: When the Power of Streaming Challenges the Rules
Netflix’s announcement of its intention to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, including HBO and HBO Max, for $82.7 billion promises an unprecedented catalogue and a major market transformation.
However, the operation has faced an unexpected challenge: Paramount has launched a hostile takeover bid worth $108.4 billion, surpassing Netflix’s offer and triggering an unprecedented corporate battle, raising alarms in a market already strained by concentration and competition.
The promise of a catalogue bringing together iconic worlds such as Harry Potter, Game of Thrones and DC, alongside global hits like Stranger Things, sounds revolutionary — but also risky. What happens when creativity becomes concentrated in the hands of a few?
The United States, Europe and other markets are preparing to decide whether this move will redefine entertainment or threaten cultural diversity. Because behind the promises of innovation lie many questions: Will prices rise? Will options disappear? Who ensures that power does not turn into monopoly?
The outcome will shape the future of streaming — and perhaps the way we consume stories over the next decade. Ultimately, what is at stake is not just who wins the battle, but which rules will remain once it is over.