Netflix has gone all cash in its bid for Warner Bros — but investors aren’t convinced.

In this Media Play News × Next TMT episode, Daniel Frankel and David Bloom break down why Wall Street is questioning Netflix’s strategy even as the company doubles down. Larry Ellison has stepped in to personally guarantee financing on the Paramount–Skydance side, lawsuits are flying as discovery tactics ramp up, and a key tender-offer deadline is approaching — yet uncertainty keeps growing.

The conversation digs into why CNBC investors say they “don’t get it,” what Netflix’s stock reaction signals about market confidence, and why this moment feels less like a traditional merger debate and more like a structural shift in the media business. The hosts also explore how AI-driven content economics are quietly reshaping the value of long-form media, complicating consolidation just as deals get bigger and riskier.

Key topics include:

• Netflix’s all-cash Warner Bros bid

• Investor skepticism and stock-market reaction

• Paramount–Skydance lawsuits and discovery strategy

• Larry Ellison’s personal financing guarantee

• Tender-offer timing and deal pressure points

• Why this feels like Netflix’s next existential moment

• How AI is changing the logic behind media consolidation

Chapters

00:00 Netflix's Earnings and Strategic Moves

05:26 The Impact of AI and User-Generated Content

11:17 Warner Brothers Acquisition and Market Reactions

This week on Next TMT Talks, Daniel Frankel and David Bloom unpack a fast-moving media and telecom landscape where regulation, streaming strategy, AI, and franchises are all colliding.

The conversation begins with California pushing back on the FCC, as state regulators reinsert DEI-related conditions into Verizon’s $20B acquisition of Frontier — setting up a broader fight between federal authority and state power. From there, the episode moves through Hollywood, Wall Street, and Silicon Valley, examining how legacy franchises, streaming economics, and AI tools are reshaping the business.

Along the way, the hosts dig into Netflix’s theatrical strategy and earnings scrutiny, Disney’s Star Wars reset after Kathleen Kennedy’s exit, the growing influence of AI tools like Claude, and why streaming platforms are now delivering audiences once thought exclusive to linear TV.

The episode closes with reflections on Wikipedia’s role in a fact-fragmented world, Sundance’s AI reckoning, Paramount+’s breakout hit Landman, and what record-setting NFL streaming audiences signal for the future of sports media.

Topics:

• California vs. the FCC and state-level regulatory power

• Verizon–Frontier $20B acquisition and DEI conditions

• Federal preemption vs. state oversight

• Disney’s Star Wars franchise after Kathleen Kennedy

• Avengers trailers and franchise-driven attention

• Netflix’s theatrical strategy and earnings pressure

• Investor skepticism and Wall Street signals

• AI in media, including Anthropic’s Claude

• AI guardrails, warfighting concerns, and regulation

• Sundance and the unanswered questions about AI

• Wikipedia at 25 and the fight over shared facts

• Paramount+’s Landman and streaming visibility metrics

• Record-breaking NFL and college football streaming audiences

• The shifting economics of sports, streaming, and attention

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Technology, Media, and Telecom News

01:43 Verizon finally getting California approval to buy Frontier, DEI Policies

06:09 Star Wars franchise with the departure of Kathleen Kennedy

10:49 Netflix's Theatrical Strategy and Filmmaking Challenges

12:55 Disney's eye popping attention from a set of Avengers trailers

14:32 Netflix, Ted Sarandos commits to winning in theatrical exhibition

15:33 Matt Damon grouses that he and Ben Affleck had to tweak their script for The Rip for Mobile users

17:37 quarterly earnings today Netflix and three guesses what everyone's going to want to talk about

18:30 It's Wikipedia's 25th birthday

20:40 Sundance starts this week with an interesting doc on all the questions we should be asking about AI but aren't.

21:08 Pete Hegseth wants to know why he can't use Anthropix Claude AI tools to commit war like he wants

23:22 The Success of 'Landman' on Paramount Plus

23:47 Looper Insights says Paramount Plus's Landman, is the show of the month

25:52 Critique of Character Development in 'Landman'

29:41 The Evolution of Sports Broadcasting

Daniel Frankel and David Bloom break down CES takeaways, Golden Globes signals, Apple Vision Pro’s immersive sports moment, and why Netflix’s next move may require Warner Bros as AI reshapes content and competition.

Topics

• Streaming Media

• Media & Entertainment Industry

• Sports Media & Rights

• Advertising & Monetization

• Artificial Intelligence (AI)

• Media Regulation & FCC

• Netflix Strategy

• Broadcast Television

• Tech, Media & Telecom (TMT)

• Live Sports & Events

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Technology, Media, and Telecom Trends

01:23 Insights from CES and the Role of Agentic AI

07:06 Brendan Carr's Speech and Its Implications

09:22 Versant's Market Debut and Future Prospects

10:36 NBCUniversal's Legendary February and Advertising Strategies

13:02 Apple Vision Pro and Immersive Sports Experiences

17:59 The Impact of AI on Content Production

25:37 Netflix's Golden Globe Success and Future Strategies

Agentic AI has officially taken center stage at CES 2026 — and it’s already reshaping advertising, media, and the future of work. In this CES edition of Next TMT Talks, David Bloom and Daniel Frankel break down the biggest themes from the show floor: how agentic AI differs from generative AI, why ad buying and selling may soon be handled entirely by machines, and what this shift means for jobs across media, tech, and Hollywood.

The conversation also dives into major CES moments including Nvidia’s Rubin chip, Jensen Huang’s market-moving keynote, the role of regulators like the FCC and FTC at CES, and how programmatic advertising is evolving into fully autonomous AI-driven systems. Recorded from Las Vegas, this episode delivers sharp insight into the power shifts defining the next phase of tech, media, and telecom.

🎙 Hosts: David Bloom & Daniel Frankel
📍 Location: CES 2026, Las Vegas
🔔 Subscribe for weekly analysis at NextTMT.com

#CES2026 #AgenticAI #ArtificialIntelligence #AdvertisingTech #MediaIndustry #NextTMT #ProgrammaticAdvertising #Nvidia #AIandJobs

Netflix dominated December — from the Stranger Things finale and record-breaking NFL Christmas games to a wave of theatrical crossover success. Daniel Frankel and David Bloom also break down the Warner Bros “sitzkrieg,” the slowdown in Hollywood deal-making, and what meaningful consolidation could mean for 2026

In the final episode of 2025, Daniel Frankel and David Bloom wrap up a turbulent year in technology, media, and telecom — and there is still plenty to unpack.

From a stunning admission that the FCC may no longer be an independent agency, to the mystery bidder known as “Company C” in the Warner Bros–Paramount–Netflix saga, to Sinclair’s rejected bid for E.W. Scripps, this episode captures a media industry at a historic inflection point .

• FCC Chair Brendan Carr suggests the FCC is no longer independent

• Warner Bros Discovery rejects Paramount Skydance — and reveals Company C’s $25B bid

• Why debt levels make the Skydance offer far riskier than Netflix’s proposal

• Sinclair’s $4B bid for Scripps rejected amid valuation and ideology concerns

• Apple TV+’s breakout series Pluribus and the rise of prestige streaming

• Why YouTube’s growing influence may be as important as Netflix’s

• Avatar’s future box-office ceiling and James Cameron’s next move

• Netflix’s awards-season blitz, comedy specials, and live-event strategy

• NFL dominance, college football playoffs, and the evolving sports TV model

• A look back at SNL, Netflix ads, and the year’s cultural flashpoints

This episode also serves as a year-end reflection on Hollywood’s debt-driven consolidation, the collapse of old broadcast assumptions, and where power is really shifting heading into 2026.

🎙 Hosted by Daniel Frankel & David Bloom
🗞 Subscribe to the free Next TMT newsletter → https://nexttmt.com

🔍 Topics covered in this episode:

00:00 End of Year Reflections in Tech, Media, and Telecom

04:53 Warner Brothers Discovery's Strategic Decisions

11:19 Sinclair's Bid for EW Scripps

18:22 Cultural Buzz vs. Commerce in Media

23:58 Cultural Phenomena in Comedy and Entertainment

29:22 Political Ads and Celebrity Influence

35:10 College Football Playoff Dynamics

Daniel Frankel and David Bloom close out a momentous 2025 with a wide-ranging Next TMT Talks episode covering the collision of AI, Hollywood consolidation, streaming wars, and legacy media economics.

From Netflix’s high-stakes battle with Paramount and Warner Bros to Disney’s surprising $1B partnership with OpenAI, this episode explores how power, money, and technology are reshaping entertainment faster than regulators — or studios — can react .

• Netflix faces bipartisan antitrust pressure as the Warner Bros deal drags on
• Paramount–Skydance’s hostile bid sparks DC scrutiny over foreign investors
• Disney invests $1B in OpenAI and integrates Sora — with heavy guardrails
• Why AI video is improving faster than anyone expected (Coca-Cola’s AI ads)
• The future of user-generated content in games, film, and TV (Overwolf)
• Why mid-budget adult dramas are disappearing — and why Netflix may save them
• Fallout from Golden Globes “shakedown” tactics and awards-season economics
• Pay TV posts its first growth quarter in years — is linear stabilizing?
• Cloud gaming, Samsung TVs, Fallout, GTA Online, and Microsoft’s big bet
• College football playoffs land on HBO Max — a new sports distribution reality

🎙 Hosted by Daniel Frankel & David Bloom
🗞 Subscribe to the free weekly newsletter → https://nexttmt.com

Chapter List:

00:00 Introduction to Next TMT Talks

01:17 Warner Brothers Acquisition and Regulatory Challenges

04:05 Disney's Investment in OpenAI and AI in Media

08:11 Coca-Cola's AI Christmas Ads and Video Evolution

10:33 The Future of Video Entertainment and Mergers

17:53 Antitrust Concerns and Foreign Investments in Media

21:34 The Decline of Mid-Budget Films and Industry Changes

25:25 The Golden Globe Controversy

29:32 The Impact of Awards on Film Careers

33:51 The State of Pay TV and Streaming

39:13 Emerging Trends in Streaming and Gaming

Daniel Frankel and David Bloom return for a special mid-week Next TMT Talks update — because the media world moved too fast this week to wait for Sunday.

From Netflix’s shifting stance on Warner Bros to David Ellison’s surprise hostile takeover bid, to AI’s impact on media valuations, to the Stranger Things theatrical finale, this episode breaks down all the chaos in real time.

💬 In this episode (from the transcript)
• Trump confirms a meeting with Ted Sarandos — and says Netflix shouldn’t be blocked
• David Ellison launches a hostile bid backed by Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds + Jared Kushner
• Netflix execs say they’re “super confident” regulators will approve the deal
• Laura Martin reverses herself — says Netflix doesn’t need Warner Bros’ “anchor” business
• Why Paramount MUST win or risk irrelevance
• Fallout of $6B “synergies” — massive layoffs baked into all scenarios
• Stoller’s theory: Netflix may be kneecapping competitors by tying them up in a mega-deal
• The real end of Hollywood 1.0 — legacy studios being “sold off for parts”
• AI summaries cut publisher traffic by 30%+, freezing media M&A
• Pay TV shows first growth in eight years — YouTube TV + Charter stabilize the sector
• Versant (Comcast spinoff) looks surprisingly healthy in a mature TV world
• HBO Max flubs Mad Men’s 4K release — visible rigs, vomit machines, mislabeled episodes
• AI “slop content” flooding YouTube
• Stranger Things 5 returns huge — and the series finale will debut in theaters on New Year’s Eve

🎙 Hosted by Daniel Frankel & David Bloom
🗞 Subscribe → https://nexttmt.com
📺 Watch full episodes on YouTube
🎧 Spotify & Apple Podcasts

Tags / Keywords:
Netflix Warner Bros deal, David Ellison hostile takeover, Skydance Paramount bid, AI media valuations, Stranger Things theatrical release, pay TV growth YouTube TV Charter, Versant Comcast networks, HBO Max Mad Men 4K, AI slop content, Next TMT Talks, Daniel Frankel David Bloom, streaming wars 2025, Hollywood M&A

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Next TMT Talks

01:32 Warner Brothers Discovery Auction and Netflix's Bid

04:16 The Impact of AI on Media M&A

08:32 The Future of Paramount and Netflix

13:03 The End Stage of Hollywood

17:53 The Current State of Pay TV and Streaming

20:52 AI's Influence on Content Creation

21:48 Mad Men 4K Release and Quality Control

23:38 Stranger Things and Theatrical Releases