With the gradual shift toward most TV shows and movies being consumed via streaming, it doesn’t take a business degree to see that, in this new landscape, Netflix has created a considerable distance between itself and its competition. As the streaming giant looks to consolidate its place in the industry, Republican senators have made it clear that they are worried about the “woke” elements of its content.
A decade ago, Netflix was a promising market leader operating in a non-essential corner of the entertainment industry, with a handful of original programming, your favorite rewatches, and a lot of potential. Now, in a drastically different industry that has been ravaged by the pandemic and strikes, Netflix is the top dog. Every awards season, they dominate, and at every film festival, they offer the highest bids for new movies. At the end of last year, they made their most ambitious move yet by buying Warner Bros. Discovery.
This move is concerning for a myriad of reasons. On one hand, yes, there is the possibility that you can catch the next seasons of Ginny & Georgia and the Harry Potter remake on one platform at a pocket-friendly rate. But the way Warner Bros. does its business is vastly different from how Netflix does theirs. While Netflix considers television set manufacturers and smartphone developers as partners who ensure its app is always preset and prioritized, Warner Bros. is more concerned with the welfare of theater chains and the employees who work there.
There is growing concern about what a Netflix-owned Warner Bros. might mean for the overall health of the theatrical experience. Understandably, some major stakeholders, like Christopher Nolan, have voiced concern about the deal and are already asking Netflix to make agreements that are binding by contract. This was something many people were hoping the Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights would grill Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos on. Instead, the focus was largely on Republicans questioning Sarandos about whether Netflix’s programming is too “woke.”
According to NBC, Sen. Eric Schmitt and Sen. Josh Hawley accused Netflix of promoting “transgender ideology,” to which Sarandos responded, “Netflix has no political agenda of any kind.” He reiterated, “There’s a great deal of programming on Netflix for all, left, right, and center.” Democratic lawmakers, meanwhile, defended Netflix’s plans to purchase Warner Bros., arguing that the move would “create more economic growth.”
The current administration’s position on the matter remains up in the air. Netflix had been engaged in a bidding war with Donald Trump ally David Ellison, who currently owns and runs Paramount. Paramount’s approach was incessant and puzzling to many business insiders and reportedly involved more than five bids. When all were rejected, the company launched a lawsuit against Warner Bros. Nothing worked, and Warner Bros. shareholders remained adamant that Netflix was their preferred choice.
Sarandos reportedly told the press that he found his Senate hearing pleasant. But with lawmakers seemingly unconcerned with the welfare of filmmakers who will have to contend with a rapidly shifting landscape, it increasingly appears that Sarandos’s biggest headache may still lie ahead—when he will have to renegotiate with the Hollywood unions.
