WASHINGTON (7News) — Netflix announced a plan to buy Warner Bros. for over $82 billion in a massive merger, economically and in the media landscape.
“If you simply look at the characters, the property, the amount of American mythology that’s going to be under control of this one company: Batman, Ra’s al Ghul, Tony Soprano, Voldemort—if I dare utter his name—and all those Lord of the Rings folks, Citizen Kane, Casablanca that’s only getting started. So there’s a lot that’s been acquired here in pure mythic power,” said Syracuse University professor and pop culture ambassador Robert Thompson.
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“Together, we can give audiences more of what they love and help define the next century of storytelling.” Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said of the merger in a press release.
“Back when people were watching those TVs behind me, nobody would have dreamed [this]. When Netflix was sending DVDs through the mail, that was really cool—that was modern stuff at the time. Now it seems like Colonial Williamsburg,” said Thompson.
However, the deal may not save your wallet.
“Anybody who thinks that somehow this deal is going to make their streaming cheaper has got another thing coming,” said Thompson. He expressed concern over films hitting the big screen.
“My guess is [films will] be in theaters for a shorter window before they come to streaming. But the movies may not be dead yet, even with this deal,” said Thompson.
Syracuse University professor and pop culture ambassador Robert Thompson explains the massive merger between Netflix and Warner Bros. (7News).{ }
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