Max Tani

I'm the media editor at Semaphore, and I'm the co-host of our media podcast, Mixed Signals.

So Netflix announced that it was acquiring Warner Brothers.

This goes back to earlier this summer when the Ellison family finalized its purchase of Paramount.

As soon as the merger was completed, they moved and turned their attention to Warner Bros.

So they made this attempt to kind of to quickly combine with Warner Brothers with the idea that then they could be a true competitor in streaming with Netflix.

Netflix, on the other hand, realized, saw that this was coming and also saw an opportunity

to get its hands on one of the major Hollywood entertainment companies in the Warner Brothers studios, which has produced some of the most iconic series and franchises and movies in the world.

You know, Casablanca.

It is looking at you, kid.

They have the rights to the DC Cinematic Universe, which is Batman.

Why so serious?

As well as a lot of prestige television in HBO, in The Sopranos.

All this from a slice of gabagool?

In White Lotus.

these great television properties.

And in the end, I think a lot of people see this as the CEO of Warner Brothers, David Zasloff, preferring the bid from Netflix.

They announced that they were launching a hostile takeover attempt of Warner Brothers and that they were going to essentially appeal directly to the Warner Brothers shareholders, saying that they have a better deal.

They have offered an all-cash bid for the entire company.

So Paramount is saying, hey, we're willing to go directly to shareholders.

They're also hinting that they have a better relationship with the Trump administration and federal regulators.