Netflix buys Warner Bros., including HBO and HBO Max | Infinium-tech
Today Netflix announced that it is buying Warner Bros. (WB) for $72 billion. This includes HBO and HBO Max, but it will take a lot longer because The WB’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) must first spin off its global networks division into a new publicly traded company called Discovery Global.
It is now expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2026, after which Netflix will acquire what is left – namely WBD’s current streaming and studio divisions.
As the name suggests, it includes the WB studios as well as the HBO and HBO Max streaming service. Netflix says it expects to “maintain The WB’s current operations and build on its strengths, including theatrical releases for films”, but also says it will add The WB’s “deep film and TV library” as well as “HBO and HBO Max programming” to its members.
So it seems like The WB Studios will continue to exist independently, but it’s unclear whether HBO Max will be absorbed into Netflix. Either way, we have plenty of time to find out – Netflix expects the transaction to close in 12-18 months. Netflix isn’t buying CNN, Discovery and all of its channels, or TNT Sports — all of those will be part of Discovery Global.
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