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The Conversation
The Conversation
Matthew Jordan, Professor of Media Studies, Penn State

Whether Netflix or Paramount buys Warner Bros., entertainment oligopolies are back – bigger and more anticompetitive than ever

Warner Bros. was one of five studios that joined forces with Wall Street investors to gobble up independent theaters and movie producers in the 1920s. Nextrecord Archives/Getty Images

News of Netflix’s bid to buy Warner Bros. last week sent shock waves through the media ecosystem.

The pending US$83 billion deal is being described as an upending of the existing entertainment order, a sign that it’s now dominated by the tech platforms rather than the traditional Hollywood power brokers.

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