Fans blast Warner Bros and Paramount merger idea as “mistake”

❘ Updated: 2023-12-21T10:55:15

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Fox and Disney did it, and now two other major studios are in talks of merging: Warner Bros and Paramount. But TV and movie fans think the move would be a big “mistake.”

Back in March 2019, Disney sealed the deal with its $71 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox, giving the House of Mouse access to properties such as the X-Men (hence Deadpool 3 now being an MCU property), Avatar, Die Hard, Alien, Predator, and more.

But this is far from the industry’s only multi-billion-dollar marriages. In 2018, AT&T acquired Time Warner in a deal valued at $85 billion, one that ran into numerous troubles and saw the telecommunications company spin off its media assets and merge them with Discovery. And so, Warner Bros. Discovery was born.

These mergers reflect the ongoing trend of media companies seeking scale and diverse content libraries to compete in the evolving landscape of digital streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Video, and Apple TV – and now it looks like Warner Bros and Paramount are considering it.

Fans blast Warner Bros and Paramount merger idea as “mistake”

Sources told Axios that WB Discovery CEO David Zaslav and Paramount Global boss Bob Bakish met on Tuesday, December 19, to discuss a potential merger. Although it’s said to be in the “very early stages,” the move would have huge implications for the industry moving forward.

The publication highlighted the financial struggles of Paramount right now, saying it’s “under enormous pressure to find a strategic partner or buyer.” It added: “WBD could use its international distribution footprint to boost Paramount’s franchises, while Paramount’s children’s programming assets could be essential to WBD’s long-term streaming ambitions.”

Another suggestion is that CBS News could be combined with CNN to create a “global news powerhouse.” What’s more, Paramount does have a huge number of hit movies and TV shows under its belt, which could help to boost WBD’s streaming platforms.

Of course, the two companies aren’t even close to making a deal just yet. But if they do, they could face a series of business and legal challenges ahead. As for what TV and movie fans think, many have made it clear they’re skeptical about the idea.

“This will be a mistake, we need more competition in movie production,” said one on X, while another wrote, “This is a bad sign for the entertainment industry. That’s just how I feel about it.”

A third quipped, “I want the people that ruined DC to re-ruin Star Trek,” and a fourth described it as a “disaster waiting to happen.” There are also numerous jokes about what the name might be, from “Max Paramount HBO with Showtime” to “Para MAX Warner Mount Plus HBO.”

“Based on the garbage content, a lot of these companies are putting out a vast majority of them will be merging in the near future, probably in the next four years,” commented a fifth. “If not sooner, they are losing the entertainment monopoly to other forms of entertainment around the world and it’s their own fault.”

Not everyone is against the idea, however, with many enjoying the idea of more content in one place. “More content for MAX, we won,” said one, while another wrote, “Omg yes please fire and replace David Zaslav while you’re at it and rename the App back to HBO!”

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