The Big Story What does the ultimate Hollywood mega merger mean for you?
Dec 11, 2025
In this engaging discussion, sociology professor Paul Moore from Toronto Metropolitan University dives into the fierce bids from Netflix and Paramount for Warner Bros. Discovery. He highlights streaming's origins and contrasts Netflix's adaptation as it competes with traditional cinema. Moore also covers the implications of consolidation, revealing concerns about job losses and monopolies. He further explores Netflix's unique approach to theaters and its impact on the future of film-going, predicting that while cinema will persist, media consolidation will reshuffle the landscape.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Netflix Changed TV More Than Movies
- Netflix transformed viewing but still respects choosing content much like walking up to a box office.
- Paul Moore argues Netflix changed TV viewing far more than cinema habits and remains distinct from social media streaming.
From Blockbuster Browsing To Streaming
- Paul Moore links streaming's origins to rental browsing and Blockbuster's decline.
- He uses the rental-store experience to explain how browsing shifted to digital platforms like Netflix.
Acquiring Warner To Preserve Theatrical Prestige
- Netflix's bid for Warner aims to acquire content and preserve the theatrical brand for prestige releases.
- Paul Moore says Netflix promises to keep Warner as a theatrical brand while using Netflix for ordinary at-home content.