Netflix is getting away with it
Cable and streaming swap places in a battle of monopolization over the 21st century | William King
Dwindling watch times, shorter windows for theatrical performances, box office busts, and now the ‘Netflix takeover’ era…
From 2010-17, we were all subjects to a true transformation in television. The rise of streaming and the collapse of legacy networks brought cheaper, better content and, for the first time, real choice over what to watch.
Independent streaming services were different from the old cable giants, who were running monolithic networks. Streaming began shaking up an industry that had grown stale.
These platforms pushed the entire entertainment landscape to actually compete. When HBO and Netflix were duking it out in the market of creativity, scriptwriting, and ratings; the quality bar for cinema on screens skyrocketed.
With Paramount having to actually earn subscribers, it led to bolder ideas, more experimentation, and a viewer-first mindset. But if Netflix ends up absorbing Warner Bros, or Paramount becomes the next studio to swallow another massive catalog, everything reverts.
We end up back at the old model, which is oversized providers holding most of the content people care about. And with that dominance comes the power to raise prices and control the market exactly like the cable empires that streaming content was meant to replace.
The golden age was when corporations weren’t dishing out hundreds of dollars for bloated channel bundles, just to access the one premium network they actually cared about.
Most people our age can remember the oversized cable providers trapping viewers in overpriced, one-size-fits-all packages overflowing with channels nobody enjoyed. It was fading fast around 2015 as we embraced the promise of genuine choice.
For this time, the system delivered on decentralized creativity. Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and a wave of other newcomers carved out their own corners of the entertainment landscape, releasing distinctive programming at a fraction of traditional costs.
But everything in the world always comes around full-circle. First, major media conglomerates launched streaming services, and cable companies like Comcast and Charter have integrated access to these third-party streaming apps or bundled them with their traditional services to retain customers.
Now, in 2025, Netflix’s multibillion-dollar proposed takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery — the powerhouse behind HBO Max, DC Studios, and a long list of major franchises — may be the clearest sign yet that streaming’s original fabrics are beginning to unravel.
With Paramounts hostile bid, Senator Elizabeth Warren was not optimistic with the negotiations on her main Youtube channel.
“A few things can happen. your costs will probably go up, your options for shows and movies will likely get worse, and union workers will likely use their jobs.” said Warren.
Andrew Yang, former presidential candidate and CEO of Noble Mobile, spoke about the situation on his recent newsletter.
“There’s something special about a large group of people experiencing a film together in a theatre. Enjoy it while you can.” Yang wrote.
According to Hollywood Reporter, Ted Sarandos, Netflix co-CEO, had a private meeting with President Trump during the first week of December, prior to the bidding wars.
As the industry reshapes itself once again, one thing is clear: the period of ‘streaming freedom’ is nearing its end. Whether the next couple years bring better stories or just bigger mergers, audiences may soon find themselves longing for the simplicity that streaming once guarenteed.
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