Kauser Kanji
VOD Pro
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In this episode, Lydia and I discuss the Netflix bid for Warner Bros Discovery which, in the Netflix comms that followed, made it sound like a done deal.
I think it’s fair to say that whereas Lydia was quite bullish about the acquisition, I was (and still am) sceptical. Why? Regulatory and plurality issues aside, it would mean that Netflix would have to embrace theatrical – a model that they’ve never really been into. Alternatively, were they buying WBD as a defensive play so that no-one else could get their hands on to an excellent, and vast, back catalogue?
Things move fast in the industry, of course, so barely an hour after we recorded this, Paramount made a hostile bid for WBD! We’ll be back next week to talk some more.
ABOUT KAUSER KANJI
Kauser Kanji has been working in online video for 20 years, formerly at Virgin Media and NBC Universal, and founded VOD Professional in 2011. He has since completed major OTT projects for, amongst others, A+E Networks, the BBC, BBC Studios, Channel 4, DR (Denmark), Liberty Global, Netflix, Sony Pictures, the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation and UKTV. He now writes industry analyses, hosts an online debate show, OTT Question Time, as well as its in-person sister event, OTT Question Time Live.