'Nothing is changing': Netflix reassures after Warner Bros takeover sparks concerns for HBO Max, theatrical releases

Netflix is acquiring Warner Bros Discovery, including their film and television studios, HBO Max and HBO, in an $82.7 billion deal.

Published on: Dec 7, 2025, 13:28:04 IST

By Abhimanyu Mathur

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Netflix buying Warner Bros Discovery has been the biggest news in global entertainment over the last couple of days. The streaming giant has finalised a $82.7 billion deal to acquire the major Hollywood studio and its entire library. This has sparked concern among moviegoers and industry insiders about the future of theatrical releases from the WB slate as well as their streaming site, HBO Max.

Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. have announced an $82.7 billion deal for Netflix to acquire Warner Bros. film and TV studios, HBO Max, and HBO. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by MARIO TAMA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP) (Getty Images via AFP)

Netflix appeared to reassure their 82 million subscribers that ‘nothing is changing’ in a carefully-worded e-mail sent on Saturday night. The e-mail details the deal and explains that a lot is left to be negotiated before the dotted line is signed.

Netflix's communication to subscribers

“We’ve recently announced that Netflix will acquire Warner Bros., including its film and television studios, HBO Max and HBO. This unites our leading entertainment service with Warner Bros.’ iconic stories, bringing some of the world’s most beloved franchises like Harry Potter, Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Casablanca, Game of Thrones and the DC Universe together with Stranger Things, Wednesday, Squid Game, Bridgerton and KPop Demon Hunters,” reads the e-mail.

In a paragraph titled ‘what’s changing’, the communication emphasises, “Nothing is changing today. Both streaming services will continue to operate separately. We have more steps to complete before the deal is closed, including regulatory and shareholder approvals. You’ll hear from us when we have more to share. In the meantime, we hope you’ll continue to enjoy watching as much as you want, whenever you want – all on your current membership plan.”

About Netflix's WB takeover

Netflix, the largest streaming platform in the world, has ushered in the era of direct-to-streaming films, getting more mainstream filmmakers from across the world to discard theatrical releases for direct streaming premieres for their titles. With the company taking over Warner Bros, moviegoers feared for the health of the theatrical release model.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abhimanyu Mathur
Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Film Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world.Read More

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