Netflix's acquisition of Warner Bros has been making headlines since it was first announced, and now netizens are flooding social media with comments against the deal.
Netflix has been at the center of severe criticism since the streaming giant announced its deal to acquire Warner Bros. According to reports, the announcement was first made on Friday, December 5, 2025 (ET), with Netflix calling it a "blockbuster deal" to acquire the Hollywood Studio. However, the deal has now received intense online criticism, with fans not in favour.
Netflix is already viewed as a persona non grata in some Hollywood circles, largely due to its reluctance to release content in theatres and its disruption of traditional industry practices. As Netflix emerged as the likely winning bidder for Warner Bros, the studio behind several big projects, including Casablanca, the Harry Potter franchise, and the much-loved sitcom, Friends.
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Hollywood's elite launched an aggressive campaign against the acquisition of Warner Bros. The director of Titanic, James Cameron, called the buyout a "disaster". According to the trade magazine, Variety, another group of prominent producers is lobbying Congress to oppose the deal. In a letter to lawmakers, an anonymous filmmaker warned that Netflix would "effectively hold a noose around the theatrical marketplace".
They claimed that this would further damage a Hollywood ecosystem already strained by audiences' shift from theatres and TV to streaming. Adding to the conversation, Warner Bros' former CEO, Jason Kilar, wrote on X that this was the most clever way to reduce competition. He was quoted as saying:
"I could not think of a more effective way to reduce competition in Hollywood than selling WBD to Netflix."
While Netflix co-CEO, Ted Sarandos has declared that the era of moviegoers flocking to theatres is over. Sarandos acknowledged surprise over the acquisition during an analyst call. However, he pledged to maintain Warner Bros' theatrical releases and preserve the HBO Max brand. Many industry veterans consider theatrical releases essential to cinema's appeal and prestige, which is a stark contrast to streaming content consumed on home sofas or on mobile devices.
Variety captured the eerie alarm in the industry with a front-page headline that read, "Is Netflix Trying to Buy Warner Bros or Kill It?" On the other hand, the CEO of Cinema United, Michael O'Leary, expressed his dismay at the acquisition with a headline statement. For the unversed, Cinema United is the world's largest exhibition trade association. He was quoted as saying:
"Netflix's success is television, not movies on the big screen. Theatres will close, communities will suffer, jobs will be lost."
The backlash has extended beyond Hollywood, with many calling the Netflix x Warner Bros deal a "BLUNDER". On the other hand, Netflix's shares have plunged more than three per cent following the announcement. The Information, one of the most influential among tech industry readers, branded the deal an "USD 82.7 Billion Blunder" by a management team that "has rarely put a foot wrong". Antitrust concerns also have become more prominent, with Netflix poised to control an even greater share of the entertainment industry it already dominates.
Even the political shift has been evident after the deal emerged. US Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat, warned the deal "could force you into higher prices, fewer choices over what and how you watch, and may put American workers at risk". Before the deal was announced, Republican Senator Mike Lee also commented on Netflix's acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery's streaming assets, saying, "This should send alarms to antitrust enforcers around the world."
What are your thoughts on Netflix's acquisition of Warner Bros?
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