https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/us-netflix-warner-bros-acquisition-9.7004170
Looks like Netflix is buying Warner Bros - Discovery.
Maybe live race streams will be included there?
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The deal is only for the streaming service and movie studio. CNN, TNT, etc are not included. That probably includes the sports content. (edited to clarify streaming service)
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Ah bummer.
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Looks like TNT sports and the US TV channels will be bundled into a new plc called Discovery Global so will probably run completely independently of Netflix. It will be considerably smaller than Warner Bros though so there may be a bigger focus on TNT sports profitability.
Discovery Global sounds like it’ll be traditional cable. So HBO Max/race coverage would go under the Netflix umbrella. Of note also is that WBD is the MTB World Cup promoter. But no changes are imminent. The Netflix deal isn’t set to close until after the Discovery Global spinout, and that’s not set to happen until Q3 2026. There’s also a very possible regulatory hurdle, depending on how the deal is viewed in terms of antitrust/monopoly.
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I posted this in Discord, but I’m getting big “AOL buys Time-Warner” vibes from this deal.
Upstart media company buys legacy media company. Disaster follows.
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More like one giant company buys another giant complany, extacts “value”. Disaster follows.
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According to this BBC article, outside the US TNT Sports is included in the deal. Also interestingly, later in the article it mentions that in Europe, Eurosport is NOT likely to be part of the deal. Surely this will be a dealbreaker for cycling coverage? To my mind it points to a possible return to the old ways - cycling back to Eurosport in the UK. I can’t see them spending a lot of time focussing on the tiny Eurosport portion of a massive media merger, so I’m holding onto a glimmer of hope as a British cycling fan…
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Possibly, but the default position would be that a change of ownership doesn’t change the underlying contracts and arrangements. Which would mean cycling staying with TNT in the UK and being part of the Netflix ownership. My guess would be that means that NF bought the TV channels and that the cycling contracts would have specified traditional TV coverage. Which means no immediate switch to streaming only. Just my general business logic though. Of course the sale of TNT could have included a carve out where cycling goes to Eurosport with permission of cycling. Lots of possibilities !
I rarely use Discord for the simple reason that when I look for something in particular I can never find it. Could you give me a clue as to where you posted it.
Thanks
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There’s one thing for sure, this acquisition won’t benefit consumers and viewers in any way whatsoever as we’ll be the ones that ultimately pay for it.
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It was in the Spin Cycle channel….
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Question: How well does Netflix work with VPNs?
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I’ve had no issues with it when traveling internationally. I’m guessing it works better with some VPN’s vs. others, though. That usually seems to be the case with other streaming services.
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I doubt this actually goes through. This has monopoly by merger written all over it.
Well, the current US administration has curious ideas about what a monopoly is and what is legal and what isn’t. If Netflix and Warner Bros came up with a new Peace Prize, I could guarantee this merger would happen.
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Also of note, TNT have lost Champions League rights which costs them somewhere in the vicinity of a billion a year. Plausible that the subscription comes down a bit. I feel naive for even suggesting that but they’re going to haemorrhage subscribers otherwise. No doubt it’ll still be multiples of GCN cost, IIRC they still have premier league to fund.
Who has got the Champions League going forward then?
Paramount. As far as I know they don’t really have any presence in the UK at the moment but CL is the sort of thing that gets you presence.
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