The $100bn Hostile Takeover: Netflix vs. Paramount

It’s the "final battle for the soul of Hollywood." In this breaking episode, we bring back Stephen Barnett to break down the Netflix vs. Paramount war for Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).

Stephen breaks this deal down like a Hollywood movie script—literally. We cover the Backstory (Zaslav’s failure), the Cast of Characters (from "nepo-baby" David Ellison in his Ferrari to the "anti-hero" David Zaslav), and the Plot Twist where Paramount gets "ghosted" on a Thursday only to launch a hostile counter-attack.

We also dive into the "Monopsony" risk that has writers terrified, the "Whirling Dervish" factor of a Trump presidency, and why this deal proves that if you aren't a $500bn tech giant, you're just prey.

(00:00) Stephen Barnett Returns

(01:59) Battle for the Keys to the Kingdom

(04:09) Backstory: Why WBD Ripped 160%

(06:12) "Anti-Hero" Zaslav & "Nepo Baby" Ellison

(10:30) The Plot: "Begging" Texts & Being Ghosted

(16:17) The Role of Bankers

(18:47) "Black Box" Fear: Advertisers vs. Netflix

(21:30) The Trump Factor in M&A

(23:15) Monopoly vs. Monopsony

(27:47) Conclusion: Why a Big Tech Win is Scary