Where this was said
Paramount vs. Netflix: The Merger That Keeps Wobbling
At 50:40 · chapter starts 44:45
The Paramount-Warner Bros. deal enters the episode as a story of self-inflicted wounds being blamed on outsiders. Paramount's chief legal officer has written to the DOJ accusing Netflix of poisoning regulators — but Kara, who knows Megan Delrahim, dismisses the complaint with a wry 'Of course they are.' Scott offers a character study of Ted Sarandos: diplomatic, non-confrontational, not someone who would run a covert campaign. [1] — Kara Swisher "The Paramount-Warner Bros. deal will probably close — antitrust math doesn't quite reach monopoly territory. But Kara Swisher argues the re…" 45:48 His read is that blue-state attorneys general are making their own independent moves, and Netflix is simply benefiting from Paramount's own execution failures. The debt on this deal is crushing, the promises are undeliverable, and none of the people running it are Houdinis. Kara's prediction: the real pain is post-close. The EU is reviewing the deal in light of Middle Eastern wealth fund involvement, and Kara flags continuing concern about foreign sovereign capital owning major US media. Scott's antitrust data closes the segment: a combined Paramount-Warner Bros. would hold roughly 20% of US streaming hours versus Netflix's 60%, and only 12.2% of total TV viewing time — less than YouTube's 13%. [2] — Scott Galloway "Paramount+Warner Bros.: ~20% of US streaming hours: A combined Paramount and Warner Bros. platform would represent roughly 20% of total US …" 49:06 His call: the deal closes, probably after SpongeBob is sold off as a symbolic concession.
The Paramount-Warner Bros. deal will probably close — antitrust math doesn't quite reach monopoly territory. But Kara Swisher argues the real damage happens after: the promised concessions are undeliverable, the debt load is crushing, and none of the people running this deal are Houdinis. Netflix and YouTube are positioned to absorb the best parts of whatever falls apart.
A combined Paramount and Warner Bros. platform would represent roughly 20% of total US streaming hours, compared to Netflix's 60%, making a monopoly case difficult.
Despite Australia's social media ban for under-16s, 70% of teens are still using social media apps by working around the restrictions.
