Corporate mergers often seem removed from what’s available on our streaming services, but changes do eventually trickle down to the consumer and the stories they love. Disney’s purchase of Fox, for example, paved the way for the X-Men to be introduced to the MCU, while the 2021 merger of Warner Bros. and Discovery saw movies like Batgirl get unceremoniously abandoned. Now, an unusually dramatic merger might save you a little money, but at the possible cost of creative freedom.
When Warner Bros. Discovery signaled that it was for sale, only two serious competitors emerged: Netflix and Paramount. Netflix seemed like the leading choice, and as a streaming-first company, a legacy studio like Warner Bros. would have been a major feather in its portfolio. However, Paramount CEO David Ellison announced a massive, last-second bid that Netflix couldn’t match, and Paramount emerged triumphant.
