Netflix announced Friday it's reached a deal to buy pieces of Warner Bros. Discovery, bringing a swift end to a dramatic bidding process that saw Paramount Skydance and Comcast also vying for the legacy assets.
The transaction is comprised of cash and stock and is valued at $27.75 per WBD share, the companies said. That puts the equity value of the deal at $72 billion, with a total enterprise value of approximately $82.7 billion.
Netflix will acquire WBD's film studio and streaming service, HBO Max. Warner Bros. Discovery will move forward with its previously planned spin out of Discovery Global, which includes its massive portfolio of pay TV networks, such as TNT and CNN.
The blockbuster deal brings together the streaming giant Netflix, which has upended the media industry in recent years, and the storied Warner Bros. film studio, known for its library including "The Wizard of Oz," the Harry Potter franchise and the DC comics universe. It will also include the content of HBO Max, including "The Sopranos" and "Game of Thrones."
"Our mission has always been to entertain the world," said Ted Sarandos, Netflix co-CEO, in a news release. "By combining Warner Bros.' incredible library of shows and moviesâfrom timeless classics like 'Casablanca' and 'Citizen Kane' to modern favorites like Harry Potter and 'Friends'âwith our culture-defining titles like 'Stranger Things,' 'KPop Demon Hunters' and 'Squid Game,' we'll be able to do that even better. Together, we can give audiences more of what they love and help define the next century of storytelling."Â
The acquisition is expected to close after the TV networks separation takes place, now expected in the third quarter of 2026. The companies estimated the transaction would close in 12 to 18 months.
As part of the deal every Warner Bros. Discovery shareholder will receive $23.25 in cash and $4.50 in shares of Netflix common stock for each share of WBD common stock outstanding following the close of the deal.
Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery said each of their boards of directors unanimously approved the deal, which is subject to regulatory approval as well as approval of WBD shareholders.
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal, which owns CNBC. Versant would become the new parent company of CNBC upon Comcastâs planned spinoff of Versant.
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