Why Netflix Wins, Even After Losing the Warner Bros. Deal to Paramount / by Longtunman
A major recent news in the video streaming industry is the bidding war for "Warner Bros." between Netflix and Paramount.
Initially, it appeared that Netflix would successfully close the deal, even going as far as emailing its members. However, Paramount ultimately emerged as the winner by placing a significantly higher offer.
Nevertheless, despite losing this particular battle, Netflix might not actually be at a disadvantage in the long-term war.
Why is that the case?
Longtunman will explain.
In December 2025, Netflix reached an agreement to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery’s studio business and HBO streaming service for approximately 2.6 trillion baht.
This move was intended to strengthen Netflix by giving them ownership of massive film and series libraries, such as Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and the DC Superhero Universe.
However, Paramount Skydance—another major studio that had attempted to buy Warner Bros. several times—refused to give up. They submitted a new proposal to acquire the entire business for a staggering 3.5 trillion baht.
Ultimately, Netflix decided not to increase its bid to compete. This allowed Paramount to successfully acquire Warner Bros. at the end of this past February.
Following this event, many might view this as a setback for Netflix, giving Paramount the opportunity to rise as a formidable competitor.
But in reality, Netflix might benefit from this outcome more than one might think.
Because of the fierce competition, the winner had to pay a much higher price for Warner Bros.
Paramount agreed to a price nearly 1 trillion baht higher than Netflix’s offer, representing a 35% premium.
When compared to Warner Bros.' 2025 profit of approximately 23 billion baht, this deal reflects a P/E ratio of 150 times.
This means Paramount is carrying a much higher risk and must rapidly create "synergy" to add value immediately; otherwise, it will be very difficult to break even.
This is no small challenge, as movie studios often have different creative approaches that require significant adjustment to work together.
Furthermore, Paramount must take on Warner Bros.' long-term debt, which amounts to another 1 trillion baht.
If the merger does not succeed as expected, it could strain the company’s financial position, potentially leading to cost-cutting measures or organizational restructuring.
Additionally, Warner Bros. is required to pay Netflix a termination fee of 90 billion baht for canceling the original agreement—a cost that Paramount is willing to cover.
This leaves Netflix with plenty of liquidity to invest in original content or purchase licenses for hit movies, a strategy that has already proven successful.
Netflix can also increase shareholder returns through dividends or stock buybacks. Last year alone, Netflix repurchased approximately 275 billion baht of its own shares.
Moreover, this outcome reduces antitrust concerns and market monopoly issues that have been under government scrutiny.
Previously, U.S. President Donald Trump had commented that acquiring Warner Bros. might give Netflix an excessively large market share.
In conclusion, Netflix’s business capabilities likely remain as strong as ever.
Meanwhile, Paramount will be pressured by massive risks, which could be a disadvantage in the long-term game.
This story reflects that the streaming platform war has reached a point where many parties are trying to scale up for survival, as building a market base is not easy.
Paramount is an example of taking a massive risk. On the other hand, Netflix, already the leader, believes that if a deal is too expensive, they simply don't need to buy it.
We will have to wait and see who made the right move this time. But in the short term, investors seem to think Netflix is the winner.
After Paramount announced the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery on February 27, 2026: Netflix stock rose by about 13%. Paramount stock, however, dropped by 13%.
This raises an interesting question: If the Paramount and Warner Bros. deal fails to the point where they have to sell off assets in the future.
By then, Netflix might be ready and waiting with cash in hand to buy someone out at a much cheaper price.