It looks like Netflix won the war.

The Warner board rejected Paramount’s $108 billion acquisition offer, opting instead for the streaming giant’s bid, citing “higher value” and “lower risk to shareholders.” Translation: the spreadsheet spoke, and the spreadsheet always wins.

So the die is cast. Netflix is set to inherit the bulk of Warner’s intellectual property – a century’s worth of cultural real estate amassed over 102 years. Wizards, dragons, sitcom apartments, capes, swords, prestige TV. The whole mythological archive of late capitalism, handed over to an algorithm in a black hoodie.

For subscribers (that’s us), this means infinite beige. Endless content engineered to flatter the algo – “If you liked X, you’ll love Y” – and scrubbed clean of anything that might spook advertisers, regulators, or whichever strongman happens to be throwing a tantrum this quarter. You’ll get more seasons, more spin-offs, more “expanded universes” of shows you never wanted resurrected in the........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)