IP

Feralmoon87

WBD seems like a piece of turd tbh, they have good IP but cant seem to perform financially. It feels like on top of whatever is spent acquiring them, you're gonna need to spend more on top of that to fix them internally

HankSteakfist

I dunno, Paramount/WB will be a huge debt black hole if this goes through and those IP's will probably wither and become less valuable under their management. A better option is to wait for the company to go under and just pick and choose IP and assets from the fire sale rather than buying the company outright.

FaastEddy

Since Paramount moidered every single IP they could get their hands on, they are looking for more IPs to victimise. Fill the pen with hogs to slaughter with idiotic unwatchable decisions

Medical-Shoulder-337

Can we please stop with this AI driven DD Netflix needs this more. They haven’t turned out a big hit in years and their draw (ST) is wrapping up. They have zero IP. Other than watch Better Call Saul for the 7th time, whats the draw? WBD is as usefull as tits on a boar

moorhound

I don't even know why everybody wants Warner Bros, almost every IP right they have is either washed-up shit or the fanbase makes it near-untouchable. DC movies? Marvel already played out superhero fatigue. Harry Potter? They've already milked everything they could out of it even with JK Rowling alienating the neurodivergent fanbase. LoTR movies? They've got the Silmarillion left and that shits as boring as reading an encyclopedia. Dune? The books get too fucking weird after Children of Dune for mass market. Game of Thrones? Who's excited for new Game of Thrones shit? It seems like these guys are looking to shell out $80B+ for a bunch of rerun rights.

Appropriate-Talk4266

I mean, as of right now, Apple Tv+ doesn't have the content to justify their pricing. Not even close. Their library selecting is abysmal, which I think is the reason why buying a lot of IP would probably be instantly beneficial to their offering

be_easy_1602

Acquiring company’s stock usually goes down during a merger, so potential opportunity to buy. Like others have said, how is Netflix going to leverage the assets into incremental revenue increases or cost synergies? Unless there is a plan to diversify into more pay to watch/ppv content or ramp up development of existing profitable IP, seems dubious longterm as the debt load will be crazy. Paramount is basically backed by Larry Ellison, who basically has endless pockets to spend (He could use Oracle stock as collateral and finance the entire deal, basically what SkyDance already did with Paramount). Seems there’s more synergies there too: AI is about to be used extremely heavily in entertainment creation even more so than now, potentially good deals on data center usage with Oracle. His daughter heads Annapurna Pictures as well. Ellison is giving William Randolph Hearst vibes

SamuraiJustice

Imagine the AI content you can create with those IP

Fun_Success_3283

Yes, imo. There's a lot of IP there, and it will give them a huge backlog of older content to make available for streaming as well. On the other hand, if they acquire it, that signals to me that they are bending the knee to trump, which means I must stop giving them money. I would quit watching all popular streaming platforms and let some new company that doesn't bend the knee to trump have my streaming money. These big companies need to learn that it is not profitable for them to bend the knee to trump. I will do my part. I hope everyone else does theirs.

clockworkwarrior

That’s now how IP moats work. They have to be good parents with lawyers to defend them. If they’re going to run out of powder the def can’t afford to defend the parents

BrainNo569

Can't Netflix buy Paramount instead of WB? I want someone at least basically competent to handle the Star Trek IP please.

MrOaiki

The problem is that the hit IP isn’t up for licensing, that’s why Netflix is trying to secure content from WB. It started with everyone selling licenses for everything to everyone. But they strategi has changed the past few years, Disney keeping their stuff for themselves, Warner too. That’s Netflix’s play here, securing a large catalogue of stuff they know their users want to see (e.g Friends).

Rosebunse

It might be. Paramount has not shown an ability to handle their IP. Disney would more or less be the one with full control of their theaters.

Urc0mp

Should I care who owns their IP? Is this actually going to be a good deal for netflix or the blackmail bois or whoever buys it?

furrypurpledinosaur

I think so, they can save their 78 billion and spend bunch of that to make original IP. But market thinks otherwise.

Da1realBigA

That's the thing, Apple has never shown interest nor had their streaming entertainment as a main priority. There's a reason why apple TV shows (and movies?!?) dont get the usual advertisement push like Netflix and WB content. Apples bread and butter is their Iphones, ipads and lifestyle brand. And you know what, some innovation and branching out is probably a good idea but they dont need it, they are profitable. The stuff they do put out has been relatively few, compared to competitors and its been pretty selective (via having A-list stars being in it, like The Morning Show and Shrinking, or its the lucky chance like Ted Lasso). I think they have Foundation, the real first show where they have no bonofide A-listers while also go high budget. Google says 10 mil per episode. Compared to morning show having 15 mil. Then take something like Steanger Things (Netflixes premier show atm at near 50-60 mil). Oh ya, there was Brad Pitt, but like The Morning Show, its an A-lister project where they know they can make their money back. Even then F1 took a lot of additional money from other brands and sources (apparently the making of the film was way beyond budget). So ya, Apple only does TV very limited and usually only with a sure thing via A-list chalked full cast. Something like a Ted Lasso was as lucky for them. Apple doesn't need to get into streaming content, or expand since they make their money else where and the cost of getting and maintaining the entire WB IP's would just double the workload.

ittrut

Apple could make a bid of this. Their service could use the IP

Serious_Swan_2371

Tbh while this will affect Netflix or paramount, the real winner long term is Disney. Other services have real pressure to catch up in IP, and Netflix may need to raise prices on their non-ad plan and/or increase the rate of ads on their plan with ads. WB is mostly useful for nostalgia factor in terms of existing IP (Hanna Barbera, looney toons, Harry Potter, and some classic movies). Also DC comics. That stuff will not be incredibly useful as the older demographics that find a lot of it nostalgic age and eventually pass. So buying WB is mostly only useful if whoever buys it invests even more money into creating new content with the old IPs in the hopes that parents will watch with their kids, and get their kids hooked on the same IP. They have a window to execute well or else it won’t be a hit with the next generation. In a sense, without major changes, WB IP is a depreciating asset (which is why they’re selling). In contrast, Disney has a full spectrum of appeal to all ages. A pipeline of content that starts with parents showing their childhood favorites to their kids, then kids watching new Disney movies, then kids watching marvel and Star Wars, then teens and adults watching tv comedies and dramas acquired via Hulu. They even have live sports via ESPN which captures adults of all ages who may have aged out of watching traditional Disney movies. While Disney’s theme park revenue is up and down, they’re a powerful tool in giving them name recognition globally. Even if they’re being made fun of, the existence of Disney adults generates content on reels and TikTok that reaches outside of their circles. It’s hard to go a week without seeing some kind of Disney IP, whether it’s a bumper sticker, a meme, or someone making fun of Disney fans. Disney rn is worth ~$105 a share, if Netflix raises prices I see that increasing significantly. Netflix currently has almost double the paid subscribers of Disney+, while having less original IP. Paramount+ has less than half of what Disney+ has. The WB IP would not be enough to make paramount+ a player long term unless they can create new content that is a major success. Most likely it will just lead to some more older people subscribing, but that’s a short term gain. Likewise, if Netflix acquires WB, it would mostly only help them short term, but it would also create a huge pressure to raise prices due to the debt they’d take on. Netflix raising prices would be a huge win for Disney. Paramount+ likely won’t be a major player regardless of whether they acquire WB or not. Basically whichever outcome occurs, Disney is primed to dominate the streaming market. It will only affect the timeframe. Netflix acquiring WB and raising prices now will be an immediate win, while paramount+ acquiring it won’t affect Disney much and Disney will slowly continue building their brand and IP. Either way, in 5 years I see Disney having more paid subscribers than Netflix. Their stock will hit $150 at least.

STierMansierre

I think the thing everyone is missing--not that you all don't make great points--is the amount of debt involved. Netflix is apparently only putting like 5% down for this deal. Now, while that is smart in terms of their ability to use their free flowing cash to make movies and shows, it really ramps up the pressure to make those payments. I'd be very interested to see how and from who the fuck they pieced 70ish billion (remember the original reports, now it's something like 84 bil because of the WB debt) in this economy? So anyway, short version is canceling Netflix probably has deeper economic implications if this goes through. Understand, they took out a loan for most of it but they also took on all the debt of the studios and streaming service which, imo, was a genius move if you are WBD. Sure, it's a major loss of pretty much all your media with replay value, but it's like they basically just cut ties with the most costly part of their business, especially legal as it pertains to IP. They're light now, deconstructed, mobile, modular, modern. It will be interesting to see how the other streaming services react--Prime, Disney+, Paramount, Hulu, Youtube, this could very well be an opportunity for these companies to retool or undersell the subscription pricing. Despite the possible addition of a lot of subscriptions, Netflix might *still* not be in a place where they can keep their pricing low as they move to manage their streaming, make use of their new studios, and pay their debt. I expect an aggressive pricing plan once they merge the content, 10-15 for the lowest, 25-50 for unlimited and plus plans. I also expect a plan in the meantime to sell off a shit ton of WB assets they don't have a plan for, which is a long term loss. There is a chance it doesn't go through. Hard to say who will win the support of the admin. Paramount is trying to make a tsunami.

Thraex_Exile

It makes NFLX look less capable, since they’re the most powerful player in streaming. They lost value bc they’re sacrificing R&D capitol to buy existing IP which won’t produce a profit for a couple years and ROI will be even longer and riskier. Now Paramount is outbidding them, meaning NFLX can’t compete or has to overpay. Market views it as a lose-lose most likely.

Illustrious_Lie_954

Apple and Google don’t really need WBD the way Paramount or Netflix might.Apple is building a premium, selective content library without the baggage of legacy cable, and Google mostly treats YouTube as its core media play.Buying WBD also means inheriting declining cable networks, debt, unions, and regulatory headaches. For Big Tech, it’s often cheaper and cleaner to license hit IP than to own the entire legacy media stack.Netflix and Paramount actually need scale in studios Apple/Google just don’t.

sungod-1

Netflix buying WB and acquiring IP assets just as AI generation is creating movies, games, commercials, music, art, etc is like when Block Buster Video added more video rental store just as streaming started to become possible

Numerous-Process2981

A pointless potato sack race where we're just supposed to accept these companies making search results worse and stealing people's IP while consuming absurd amounts of energy, stealing human jobs, and getting huge tax breaks, cluttering up streaming services with AI junk, etc.? This ain't the fucking iphone where I'm like "oh yeah, this a revolutionary invention. Everyone will want something like this." So far the way they sandwich AI into everything, it just feels like an annoying extra step or a different way of doing things, like a new interface no one asked for. Like instead of searching something myself I'm supposed search it on the AI and trust what it tells me. This is like 12 rich guys made some pointless invention that will destroy the internet and ruin lives and they can't understand why people aren't excited about it.

Internal_Field5970

Are you comparing the cost of single films to ownership of IP

Woodrow-Wilson

I don’t think it’s about cheap products. It’s about currency manipulation and respecting IP law if I had to guess. And maybe about Uyghurs but probably not, that’s me thinking people care about others and not just cash.

AmbivalentheAmbivert

This whole post is just Jensen Huang doing what every tech CEO does—wrap corporate lobbying in a national security bow so nobody questions it. Here's what he actually wants: sell chips to China (billions NVIDIA's losing to export controls) and get the US government to bankroll massive datacenter buildouts. The "China's gonna beat us!" panic is just the sales pitch for both. And the "we'll end up buying AI from China" line? Complete bullshit outside military applications. No Western company is routing their data through Chinese servers. Not happening. Data sovereignty, security regs, basic self-interest—it's a non-starter. We'll get fragmentation into separate ecosystems, which is fine. But the real play is obvious: push for infrastructure spending and looser export rules, NVIDIA cashes in on both ends, then comes the Amazon playbook. Tax breaks, subsidized utilities, public infrastructure upgrades for private profit, then offshore the earnings through IP licensing schemes while contributing fuck-all in taxes. Auto companies at least paid taxes when they gutted the Rust Belt. Tech companies figured out how to offshore the profits too while keeping all the publicly-subsidized benefits. Corporate taxes went from 30% of federal revenue to 7% while profits hit record highs. So no, this isn't some strategic warning about American competitiveness. It's a wealth transfer scheme with a flag draped over it, and the endgame is taxpayers footing the bill while NVIDIA shareholders get richer and executives collect stock options taxed at capital gains rates. It's neo-feudalism with better PR. Hard pass.

Puppymonkebaby

A startup could break through: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_over_Avian_Carriers?wprov=sfla1

troll__away

What is their ‘moat’? IP? Established infrastructure/facilities? Captive market? They have none of those. The hyperscalers are spending like crazy to catch up but Gemini 3 is on par with chatGPT. So what moat is there? A $500 billion merge for Meta seems kinda dumb when they could spend 1/10th of that on infrastructure and R&D and get to the same spot. OpenAI’s valuation is based on potential future revenues. Meta isn’t going to be able to realize those kinds of revenues in a substantially different way than what Meta is already doing. So how would they recoup the investment?

RandomTunes

Yes, then 60% around 50MM and 90% around 100MM. Match cap gains rates to income. Drastically icrease corporate rates and get rid IP off shoring loopholes. Also, eliminate the stepped up basis, this is the most important one really.

Hawk-432

Fair. We should not do Trump-like blanket tariffs. But for specific areas where the CCP gives their companies a non free-trade advantage we absolutely should. Where they don’t play by the rules (stealing IP, huge state subsidies) we should not let then screw us.

Timalakeseinai

Let's not call them tarrifs  Let's call them reparations for stolen IP.

MusaRilban

Okay, so you have absolutely nothing to rebut with and are just arguing a point for the sake of arguing? [Data Centers in Space](https://research.google/blog/exploring-a-space-based-scalable-ai-infrastructure-system-design/) announced by Google. Google owns 12% of AST SpaceMobile, a company which owns the IP for the largest low earth orbit satellites ever launched. This company has all the building blocks for data centers in space, something that would be extremely efficient due to reduced cooling needs (cooling is the majority of the space and power occupation in a data center). This has only become available due to SpaceX significantly reducing the cost to access space. Hopefully Blue Origin follows suit now with the successful launch and landing of New Glenn last month.

senttoschool

Checkout my post on Netflix 5 years ago: [https://www.reddit.com/r/stocks/comments/ghmpsi/why\_netflix\_is\_going\_to\_win/](https://www.reddit.com/r/stocks/comments/ghmpsi/why_netflix_is_going_to_win/) Literally every single the points became true. Literally every single comment became false. Check out the top comment: \>My thought is that Netflix will be acquired a year or 2 after all other studios’ IP is taken off. My reply: \>My bet is that Netflix will be the one going on an acquisition spree.

crumbfan

I feel validated reading these comments lol. I remember looney tunes and Hanna barbera being licensed all over the place when I was a kid. I still love that stuff and I’m sure a good chunk of the population does too. But it seems like WB just…doesn’t do anything at all with the IP they own. Like there’s some cheap shitty merch on the website and that’s about it. It used to be so prevalent and has really just disappeared over the last few decades.

Goat-the-Billy

I looked at this a while ago, but may have to revisit it again. Thanks for bringing it up. When you mention that 86% of their deals being recurring, I think it's important to note that probably doesn't translate one-for-one with actual revenue every year. If an apparel company licensing their IP has a poor year and doesn't sell as many licensed units as a prior year, I would anticipate revenue from that licensee to be down on a YoY basis. So the deals are recurring, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the revenue is recurring.

AlfredoAllenPoe

Yes, and to say otherwise is insane Acquired control of the rights to most of the remaining Marvel IP Avatar series, which has the #1 and #3 top gross movies of all time. The Simpsons, Futurama, Family Guy, and a ton of other top adult animation shows Alien & Predator framchises And a fuck ton more of shows and movies to add to their library

AlfredoAllenPoe

The IP acquired is world class. The problem with the Disney acquisitions is the massive amount of dying legacy media they acquired.

TheVirusI

Eventually when generative ai replaces studios, just owning the IP is the value.

Razkaii

I think their organic growth would eventually slow substantially. Let’s face it if Disney got their act together and had Marvel and Star Wars firing on all cylinders the market could look different right now. This will cause short term pain but in many years to come this was such a huge purchase to add a long term safety buffer for Netflix. They have enough IP to be self sustainable now without the need to license so many shows. I’m

Rapa_Nui

People focus on the wrong stuff. They think that Netflix is woke or whatever but their biggest problems were always the catalogue, account sharing and piracy. They fixed their catalogue problem by paying 82 billion USD, they made some efforts to lower as much as possible password sharing but piracy is another beast. Right now Netflix paid for a massive catalogue thoroughly pirated in an economy already tired of streaming and high prices and will have to justify increasing its price without inciting people to just consume everything illegally for free. If they don't bundle services they are going to lose money because how to justify buying a competitor for 82 billions and not use their IP to fix your own IP issues? If they bundle them they'll have to increase prices which may upset a lot of consumers. The only "winner" is the person currently paying for Netflix and HBO separately. The ones paying just for Netflix and just for HBO may not feel good at all about a price increase and may seek other ways to access content.

Tachiiderp

The problem with these other mergers is they absorbed a lot of shite legacy media stuff. In this merger Netflix is not taking legacy media, just the movie production and IP rights for a lot of these movies/TV shows.

callmecrude

Neither Disney or Comcast had a streaming platform when their deals closed though. It’s hard to judge shareholder value gains when they’ve been spending billions over the past few years building out their streaming libraries specifically to catch up to Netflix. I’ve said it before, but Netflix has the most to gain from this acquisition because of how much money they’re already spending on new content each year. They have a deep content archive and don’t need to milk pointless prequels, sequels, and spinoffs of Harry Potter and DC the way Disney is doing for Star Wars and Marvel. All this extra IP lets them be more picky with what they green light, as their goal isn’t to stay competitive in content like Disney+ and Peacock- they’re already #1 in that category. Their goal is to make money.

RoyalCities

It's the user count. OpenAI has more users than Reddit. It's over 800 million or something absurd. All those conversations and chats is the dataset IP. Think devs building solutions with code etc. all of this is refed to the newer models. I don't agree with the valuations at all and think the market is way over estimating the power costs and also scaling ROI but that's besides the point.

improbably-sexy

It's a bad deal long term. They're going to want to drive sales. And the easy way to do that is to bundle Netflix and HBO. Already a subscriber to one? Get the other one half off! And then they'll straight up bundle both for people who aren't subscribed to either. So eventually, in the minds of potential customers, they become just one streaming service. Maybe they'll fuse the apps, save a bit on the IT/tech spending. If Netflix produces shows with HBO's IP, does it make sense to keep those shows from the HBO subscribers? Eventually, they're going to have to complete on price with the other services. So now they're selling what used to be two subscriptions for the price of one. And that's not good for profits. Maybe they'll be the most expensive service, but they won't be twice the price of the others.

Medical-Shoulder-337

Netflix does not have a history of making big hits. I’ll give them 2.5 - Narcos, Stranger Things, Mindhunter. Some minor hits they ran into the ground— Squid game and some rando minor hits they- Tiger King Buying WB does give them an IP pipeline which they currently lack. A $2/mo bump might cover debt service, but won’t cover increased OH & Production costs I for one am eagerly awaiting the sopranos reboot where Tony is played by a blue haired Asian hermaphrodite

AlphaYoloer

They gonna run every IP to the ground brother.

LordHammercyWeCooked

With the state of antitrust regulation in this country, I'd expect one company to have eventually bought all of the IP and content delivery services anyway. Now where did I leave my pirate hat...

robonick360

What franchises does Netflix own? What billion dollar films does Netflix own? Netflix produced films are 10 years old at most, and the rest of their movies are shit they have to rent out from a continually shrinking pool (being that all other production companies want their own streaming services). Netflix needs to *own* a much larger catalogue of classic movies and shows that people will reliably return to in order to maintain profit. And they need more already-popular IP to make franchises out of. Stranger Things and Squid Games only come along every so often, meanwhile Disney can have a marvel, Star Wars, or Pixar sized event every single year.

livefreeordont

A large part of buying WB is not just the IP, and preventing a competitor from getting it instead, but the HBO brand which is highly prestigious and valuable. Eliminating it would be pretty stupid in my opinion > I would obviously like it if they just put everything under the Netflix brand and charge the same price. But of course that's not what they will do This makes no sense at all so of course they won’t do it

BigAd8456

Netflix didn’t just buy a studio, they bought a time machine. Warner Bros. has 100 years of cultural weight. Netflix has algorithmic reach. If they merge those correctly, it’s the biggest shift in Hollywood since the streaming boom. If they don’t, we’re about to watch some of the world’s best IP get stretched like pizza dough.

rem7

This is almost spot on. Except the end. Paramount wanted the whole thing before splitting. Paramount offered $30 per share so around $75B. Netflix is offering more and just for the studios/IP. So it’s a much bigger offer.

Glass-Ambassador7195

Warner Bros and the IP was under the trash leadership of the worst CEO in entertainment- david zaslav. As much as I do not like monopolistic capitalism I’m happy that POS who was burying and canceling scripted shows will be out of power.

12A1313IT

Warner Bros have such great IP. You guys are not seeing the bigger picture, people will be getting Netflix for life.

AYETEEWHY

A-1, buy the dip. B-2, this is generational. Respectfully, fuck the HBO of it all -- the WARNER of it all is the treasure chest. Superman. The Matrix. DC will finally be GOOD. And Netflix is GLOBAL. And it's on your phone and in your home. And Netflix does theatrical releases whereas HBO has only done so for some Indies in the past. This is a buy and hold and keep buying. It's Netflix's game to lose. They immediately save on licensing fees for HBO and WB properties. NFLX has to PAY to host films they didn't produce on their platform. They now effectively save all the money they would have paid to "RENT" those titles. Also, this is IMHO a more elegant version of Amazon's MGM play. Netflix can now relaunch Sopranos for a modeler GLOBAL audience. So many gems from the golden era of HBO that Gen Z has never heard of. I live in LA and all my industry friends are working on Netflix shows and films. Anyone who's working is working on a Netflix project. They're not going to make shitty versions of old IP. They have the money to invest in the talent to do with some old IP what Marvel did. Find something in the WB basement, dust it off, get a salaried genius to bring it to life, make sure folks in Asia and Europe and Africa feel seen, and go LAUGHING to the bank. I own and ad agency, btw so I won't give all the ad plays away, but man -- THEME PARKS?! $100 bucks?! Bruh. Buy buy buy and hold.

AYETEEWHY

A-1, buy the dip. B-2, this is generational. Respectfully, fuck the HBO of it all -- the WARNER of it all is the treasure chest. Superman. The Matrix. DC will finally be GOOD. And Netflix is GLOBAL. And it's on your phone and in your home. And Netflix does theatrical releases whereas HBO has only done so for some Indies in the past. This is a buy and hold and keep buying. It's Netflix's game to lose. They immediately save on licensing fees for HBO and WB properties. NFLX has to PAY to host films they didn't produce on their platform. They now effectively save all the money they would have paid to "RENT" those titles. Also, this is IMHO a more elegant version of Amazon's MGM play. Netflix can now relaunch Sopranos for a modeler GLOBAL audience. So many gems from the golden era of HBO that Gen Z has never heard of. I live in LA and all my industry friends are working on Netflix shows and films. Anyone who's working is working on a Netflix project. They're not going to make shitty versions of old IP. They have the money to invest in the talent to do with some old IP what Marvel did. Find something in the WB basement, dust it off, get a salaried genius to bring it to life, make sure folks in Asia and Europe and Africa feel seen, and go LAUGHING to the bank. I own and ad agency, btw so I won't give all the ad plays away, but man -- THEME PARKS?! $100 bucks?! Bruh. Buy buy buy and hold.

biz_student

True, it seems though that this repricing of WBD would have downstream implications for DIS as it highlights the market’s opinion on IP valuation. Interesting we haven’t seen any movement for DIS despite them having more IP, a better flywheel for exposing IP, and better profitability. Disney is very unlikely to auction themselves, but there are companies like BRK, AAPL, and AMZN that could buy Disney without financing.

Pulled_Forward

This is far from unique to Google. Nvidia and TSMC are collaborating to achieve the same thing and take it a step further. Not only are they leveraging AI to improve the the chip architectures and frameworks (hardware and software like Google), they are also actively improving the manufacturing process to more efficiently and effectively produce GPUs. Because Broadcom owns a lot the TPU chip IP and TSMC allocates more of its advanced silicon to Nvidia, there are fundamental roadblocks to Google achieving the same thing. Also, Gemini has yet to disprove the allocations it is a second rate coding model due to time-consuming hallucinations stemming from poor context recall as sessions get longer and outright stubbornness at times where it loops through the error/bug fixes forgetting that it didn't work a few turns ago. This could mean that AlphaEvolve is less performant and is being leveraged across fewer layers of the vertical stack when compared to what Nvidia and TSMC are doing.

StretchFrenchTerry

Seriously, there are so many characters in their IP that they could resurrect but it's just all disappeared. As a kid it was everywhere, and then one day it was just gone.

stickymeowmeow

A quick Google search shows that Friends earnings continue to grow every year, making more now in streaming than in its original run. Studios spend billions on new releases while people keep rewatching their comfort shows. IP definitely matters. Even if it’s “old.”

Piranata

Warner Bros has a lot of IP, but the company stock price is a pretty much a flat line. Look at the historical data, it harmed Discovery stock price and never recovered. There's nothing that guarantees it'll be different under Netflix.

Xzlk

No position, but how did Disney not pop on the Warner Bros deal. If Warner Bros IP is selling for 70B, I can’t imagine what Disneys would sell for.

dalivo

Lack of a cohesive story as to why this merger makes sense. It's not the debt. It's whether there are legitimate synergies. Like, is Netflix going to close HBO Max? Is it going to create new Harry Potter and DC series? What's the vision of theatrical vs. streaming vs. other IP uses (parks, merch)? Is Netflix going to be another Disney with all of this classic IP? My take: As odd as this sounds, the WB IP is worth far more than Netflix. Netflix has a good business model based on regular, new, but basic content. But its own IP is junk and they can't do anything with it beyond maintaining subscribers. They've shied away from theatrical distribution because they know their stuff wouldn't have legs. The WB catalogue gives them a chance to go way beyond subscriptions using all of their intelligence about what consumers like. They won't get a ton of new subscribers, but they will be able to unlock theatrical and merch value that WB/Discovery was really trash at (sorry, folks, green-lighting Peacemaker and Doom Patrol and other weird off-brand adult-focused DC series on HBO Max is a stupid strategy. Those are niche products. DC is on track theatrically, but they need to make more general-audience-friendly material overall.)

biz_student

What blows my mind is that if Warner Bros is with $82.7B, then how is Disney only valued at $190B with all their IP, streaming service, hotels, parks, etc?

diegodamohill

AT&T bought WB, but they couldn't manage it and then moved their debt to it then sold it. Discovery bought it, got even more debt (50B+)!, then spent the last few years just cutting cost as much as possible to reduce that debt, then when it got "low" enough (It's still gigantic) decided to split WBD into two companies, one with all the good IP, HBO, streaming etc, and the other will have cable, news and whatever else they don't care about. But most importantly, the second one gets all the debt, leaving the first one to be pristine and primed for buying so the top guys get a gigantic pay. That's when Netflix and Paramount got in with "I want that"

stonkbot3021

Love the Fred Flintstone name drop in the article as if that’s some sort of IP anyone cares about these days.

financefocused

Good IP but terrible management. Also kinda late to streaming

Arrakis_Surfer

I really need someone over at r/theydidthemath or r/coolguides to show me how much of the market they just bought. In terms of IP size compared to Disney.

ImArcherVaderAMA

The movie has been massive, every kid knows the songs, boys and girls. They're being played on the radio now. The singers have had live performances on TV. The theaters were sold out and packed, and every kid and teenager sang along to all the songs knowing all the words, screamed and cheered for all the emotional scenes. The IP has been huge. Head in the sand doesn't negate something's cultural impact...

JC_Hysteria

Dang Lochness monster always consolidating IP

JC_Hysteria

I doubt they’ll consolidate brands and IP any time soon… It’ll be a strategic option for them when the timing makes sense, though.

TheGrateCommaNate

Netflix would do a much better job, don't you think? It's pretty clear that the execs are the ones screwing it up. They called Joss Whedon to marvel up the Justice League script at the last second. They keep trying to duplicate the MCU but they have no direction because upper management can only see quarterly profit. Netflix definitely makes trash but they tend to do pretty well with good IP. Daredevil was so good that Disney just continued it.

Jesus-Musk

Imagine Zaslav’s whole MO was to fire all the dead weight at WBD and sell the IP

pragmojo

Disney is a parks business with a media company to advertise their IP

Medical-Shoulder-337

I’m not and yes, the US is only about +/- 30% but the US user base is the most dense by a wide margin and likely generates the highest ad revenue so yes the US is going to be the most important market Switching out of getting eyeballs into we have to service this debt mode is going to mean a lot of cutbacks, especially in non-US markets. They’ll spend more developing existing IP and get a higher hit rate Vs their current shotgun approach. Iodate WB & Netflix mgmt hasnt shown they have this skill.

JAWinks

Both companies do a great deal of business in the EU and are subject to their regulatory bodies. If they ignored their regulations, they could get fined a ton of money. What would likely happen is they would force Netflix to spin off the streaming rights to certain IP to competitors in Europe so they don’t have too big of a market share

Fluffy-Discussion166

What big IP they getting for 72B??

vinniethepooh2

This doesn’t make Netflix any closer to competing with YouTube- their biggest hurdle. For that to happen they’ll need to buy something like Spotify. But I get why they did this. Can’t pass up a once in a lifetime opportunity to get all that IP

Medical-Shoulder-337

Agreed It greatly increases their hit rate odds. It’s a pretty good fit for Netflix. Theyve show and ability to $ off existing IP. Now it’s the DC universe Vs Marvel I am not looking forward to a Sopranos reboot

Willoughby3

This helps Netflix. Netflix does not have a deep library which makes their licensing fees and content acquisitions costs high. By buying WBD they get their hands on major titles that they can monetize indefinitely; reducing their overhead and granting Netflix revenue streams in their licensing business in terms of IP and content. Overall, it’s quite bullish in the long term.

gingerhasyoursoul

What world are you living in? Im pretty sure it’s two of their most popular IP.

JustBrowsinAndVibin

Nope. Just the studio, HBO, and IP.

Medical-Shoulder-337

Because their pipeline is dryer than a pop corn fart. Dont love the deal but this gives them a lot of content and IP to keep subscribers

IHaveMeasles

Absolutely.... this deal sucks for Netflix. Why tie themselves down to traditional studios and IP.... the entire point of NFLX is to have some mystique that they're a "tech company" not a mere studio with multiples that are much lower.

fluid_alchemist

# Eliminating the United States Federal Debt: A Comprehensive Plan Through State-Led Real-World Asset Tokenization Powered by Datavault AI Patented IP # [https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/eliminating-united-states-federal-debt-comprehensive-plan-bradley-uobie/](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/eliminating-united-states-federal-debt-comprehensive-plan-bradley-uobie/)

No_Transition4803

idk WB has a lot of IP that does well in theatrical settings. Depends on what directors want to work with them too

Altruistic_Summer469

I like the move, they are overpaying upfront, but on the backend production side they save a ton on IP rights, licensing fees etc since they now own the rights to all the big names.

DeluluBaggieShamer69

Trying to get rich off AI companies is like trying to get rich off Internet companies. Its a utility, not a service. Who "owns" intelligence is the same who "owns" the internet. No amount of data or compute will make it suddenly become "IP". The future you're bullish on will never exist. 

SquirtSommelier

Think about the IP and content vault NFLX is picking up with this. Up up up.

Thraex_Exile

That’s sad to see. WBD haven’t been great stewards of their IP, but Netflix isn’t any better at nurturing franchises. Sucks seeing major streamers employ anti-consumer measures, bc it’s costing them too much money, just to pay a premium WBD.

No_Hour6830

I think it's an amazing deal. IP is the name of the game in entertainment, especially nowadays where everything's a sequel. Batman, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones... these are some of the most legendary franchises in history. And those are not things you can just throw money at and create. There's a special sauce there that's very difficult to recreate. It also solves Netflix's main problem: not having enough high quality content. Netflix is great at churning out lots of decent content. Stuff you don't mind watching while you eat dinner. But they haven't been great at getting those epic shows that you look forward to all day. This solves that. Also, the Netflix House concept that recently launched in Philly and Dallas shows they want to get into in-person experiences. We'll see if this particular concept is the one, but IP is critical for this to work out.

TAKINAS_INNOVATION

I think they’re overpaying for it imo. I hope this doesn’t turn out like Disney and Fox. They better put that IP to use and diversify their revenue streams. Use it for merchandise, the DC universe is iconic. Create games with that IP as well. If they can use this IP to branch off into other revenue streams. It will be a win in my book. But if they can’t do this then I don’t think it’s really worth it. Most people overlap with HBO and Netflix already. There were reports saying it wouldn’t increase their market share by much in the streaming realm.

hardervalue

Like any of the top chip customers, Apple will only give Intel its oldest and least valuable processors. Direct competitors will never trust Intel, especially with its history, with their leading edge designs.  And will always reserve their newest designs for TSMc because it’s well ahead in high volume process production and way more trustworthy with cutting edge IP. Intels fabs will continue to be a bleeding sore until they are spun out to get fully separated from the GPU and CPU groups at Intel.

Best-Body-8166

There's a new kid on the block focused on Japanese anime IP-based games... CTW Cayman ($CTW)

Birdhawk

Then shipping everything will cost way more and be done by independent gig workers who don’t give a fuck instead of people with stable careers, decent pay and good retirement who on average take pride in their work and who at minimum do well enough to not get fired. So yeah it’s a good idea if you want a part of our infrastructure we take for granted go to shit and if you want the cost of EVERYTHING to go up because shipping everything from packages to post cards to be dominated by tech giant whose business model is worker exploitation and IP theft

BlazinLeo

MM: Yes, we have his IP address, take him out

NameTheJack

>mostly likely stolen IP How can they steal their way to a technological lead? Did they steal the schematics for a time travel machine and now conduct industrial espionage against the future?

STONKLEAPS

Quantum’s True Monetization Is “IP Discovery as a Service”

Pristine_Hurry_4693

**DRTS’s clinical, regulatory, financial and commercial achievements and progress:** ‏FDA Breakthrough Device Designation ‏FDA TAP program inclusion ‏FDA MDSAP certification ‏FDA IDE’s for **five** cancers and counting ‏**FDA PHASE 3** completion for one indication in H1 2026 ‏FDA Phase 2 and other stages of trials going on in parallel for different indications (cancer types) ‏FDA approval for commercial factory in the US, with other factories built and more in planing ⁠100% tumor response rate in early FDA trials ‏Effective against all tumor types, including unmet needs like Pancreas, Lungs, Brain (GBM), Breast etc… ‏Activates immune system response ⁠**50+ clinical sites worldwide** (including USA, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Russia, Italy…) ‏Patents, IP and more…

LymelightTO

> A single analyst predicted that. Correct me if I’m wrong but Apple moved away from Intel for their own branded chipset, yes? Apple moved away from reliance on Intel's *design* arm, but the problem Intel has is that it needs customers for its foundry business, which is a functionally independent business unit now, that seeks to fabricate other company's designs, without sharing IP to their own design business. Intel's design business is like AMD, and IFS is like TSMC. Apple is (rumored to be) becoming a customer of IFS, which will fabricate the chips that Apple designs. Generally speaking, it's good for everyone here but TSMC. Apple will test to see how working with IFS is, and open up a pathway to relying on them for more, better, chips in the future, which will allow them to either negotiate down TSMC on pricing, or switch from them.

LowWind7998

I think it’s up like 25% YTD . It does well Y/Y but the last few months it’s been sliding down. Not to dive deep into it, but their licensing and IP’s seem to do well with : ThemeParks, Movies, Toys, and Games; Seems to be producing Y/Y growing revenues . They haven’t done anything really exciting in awhile but shet who dosnt remember a Nintendo64 with Mario Cart or even Pokémon (they’re involved somehow there). Eh , it’s worth keeping an eye on I’d say.