Netflix and HBO Max, two of the biggest streaming services, are set to merge. In a press release earlier this morning (Dec. 5), the streaming giant announced that it had struck a deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) for $82.7 billion. This was expected after it was revealed yesterday that the two companies had entered exclusive talks (h/t Bloomberg [paywall]), but it's still a stunning development.
This deal gives Netflix a veritable cornucopia of intellectual property to work with if it goes through. No longer will it need to hire the Russo brothers to direct "The Electric State"; now it can just have them do the next Batman movie. Now that Millie Bobby Brown is done with "Stranger Things," she could find herself cast in a future season of the HBO "Harry Potter" show or a "Game of Thrones" spinoff.
