Earn Your Leisure Podcast – Episode Summary

Episode: Is Netflix the New Cable? Mega Deals, Paramount Drama & Why You Should Hold Long-Term
Hosts: Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings
Date: December 28, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings analyze Netflix's evolution, comparing it to the cable TV giants of previous generations. They break down recent high-stakes deals—especially the Netflix/Paramount/Skydance drama, Oracle’s involvement, and the broader future of media. The hosts put a strong emphasis on long-term investment strategies, using Netflix as a bellwether for investment discipline in tech-media. They also touch on the integration of podcasts, live content, and high-profile acquisitions as Netflix’s way to build an unbreakable moat.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Is Netflix Becoming the New Cable?

• Comparison to Traditional Cable:
  Netflix is positioning itself as this generation's cable provider by increasing investments in content and infrastructure.

  • Rashad (B): “Netflix… is them building a moat in front of our face.” (04:42)

• Content and Platform Growth:

  • Live sports (NFL on Christmas, high-profile boxing), hit originals (‘Stranger Things’), and new partnerships (including major podcast networks).
  • Notable moves to make content a daily habit, not just a seasonal binge.

2. Investor Strategy: Why You Should Hold Netflix for the Long Term

• Consistent Message to Listeners:

  • Rashad (B): “Just hold. Be faithful to your portfolio so you can be free. None of this three month, six month… Everything has to be five years.” (12:43)
  • Advice is grounded in the view that key tech/media players all operate on 20–30 year timelines.

• Steady Growth Outlook:

  • The days of 35–40% YoY stock gains might be over, but solid 15–20% annual growth is expected.
  • “Is Netflix a buy? Yes. They are the verb in the category and probably one of the best run companies in the media space.” (05:18)

3. Mega Deals & The Paramount and Oracle Drama

• Larry Ellison’s Personal Guarantee:

  • Paramount may leverage a $40 billion guarantee from Oracle’s Larry Ellison to support investments and mergers (likely connected to Skydance and the broader struggle for media consolidation).
  • Troy (F): “Him saying, Look, I’m putting 40 billion up guaranteed is interesting… That tells you how important to them having that network is in terms of spreading the messages that they want, have a control of the messages that they want and having media.”* (13:28–13:52)

• Strategic Positioning:

  • The power play is about controlling access to eyeballs and messaging, with media arms seen as crucial in both business and politics.
  • Rashad (B): “If you can go back into that White House and say, well, I can get you 36 more million viewers per month, that'll secure the financing that you need for the other ventures to go.” (14:51)

• Paramount/Skydance Merger:

  • The need for backend (“Dad said, look, I know I'm worth 250. His 40 guaranteed forecast deal, all cash deal.”) (14:33–14:51)

4. Media Evolution: Daily User Habit and the Podcast Play

• Beyond TV Shows—The Podcast Expansion:

  • Netflix’s deals with iHeart and push into podcasting (adding a daily media touchpoint) signal a transformation into an all-in-one entertainment platform.
  • Troy (F): “When you watch Netflix, you watch a show, you're done with it in a day. Well, how can I become a part of your daily life if I don't have sports every day? What are people doing every day? A lot of people are listening to podcasts...”* (11:49–12:13)

• Long-Term Cultural Integration:

  • Combining streaming media, live events, and daily content draws users in more persistently—akin to the daily place legacy cable once held.

5. Macro Perspective: Media Consolidation as “War Games”

• Geopolitical & Business Angle:

  • Media access isn’t just about entertainment; it’s coded as a “war game” for influence, information, and financing ("War Games… it is not time to play at all.”) (15:02)
  • Examples given: Dana White (UFC) and Vince McMahon (WWE) maneuvering major sales and political alignments.

• Key Guidance:

  • Rashad (B): “Deploy capital into the best assets on Earth.” (15:41–15:43)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Holding Long-Term:

  • Rashad: “Be faithful to your portfolio so you can be free. None of this three month, six month… Everything has to be five years.” (12:43)

• Netflix’s Moat:

  • “All the investment that they're going to put into future content to now become our generation's version of cable, is them building a moat in front of our face.” — Rashad (04:42)

• On Ellison Investment:

  • “Larry Ellison is personally guaranteeing billions of dollars for the benefit of his son.” — Troy (13:28)
  • “If you can go back into that White House and say, well, I can get you 36 more million viewers per month, that'll secure the financing that you need…” — Rashad (14:51)

• On the podcast play:

  • “If I can't do it in live sports, I'm gonna do it in something that is also entertaining you, which is podcast, which is a huge business.” — Troy (12:14)

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Timestamp | Topic | |---------------|------------| | 04:19 | Netflix as a new "cable" & investor perspective | | 05:55 | Stock split, merger speculation, and why to hold long-term | | 11:05 | Netflix’s quarterly content & podcast expansion | | 12:43 | Portfolio discipline advice—5-year+ holding | | 13:28–15:01 | Paramount-Oracle mega deal, Ellison’s guarantee, and media “war games” | | 15:41 | “Deploy capital into the best assets on Earth” – final actionable investment advice |

Conclusion

The episode provides a robust, investor-focused analysis of Netflix's evolving strategy as it shifts from pure streaming to a conglomerate rivaling traditional cable. The conversation demystifies recent mega-deals (Paramount/Skydance, Oracle), emphasizes the importance of thinking in years, not months, and frames modern media as a field for both business dominance and broader influence. The tone is urgent but optimistic—advising listeners to stay the course, invest in best-in-class assets, and ignore the short-term noise.

For listeners:
If you’re an investor or anyone curious about the business of entertainment, this discussion is a must-listen, packed with actionable insight, rigor, and sharp cultural analysis straight from the Earn Your Leisure team.