The Brett Cooper Show | Episode 104: "Why Both the Left & the Right Hate the Netflix-Warner Bros Merger"

Date: December 6, 2025
Host: Brett Cooper

Overview

In this episode, Brett Cooper dives into the headline-making Netflix–Warner Bros. merger, analyzing why it’s triggering rare bipartisan outrage. Cooper explores the financial, cultural, and political ripple effects of the $83 billion acquisition, featuring reactions from industry figures, politicians on both sides, and everyday consumers. She connects the merger to deep shifts in entertainment, power, and generational values, asking what it means for storytelling, cultural influence, and competition in Hollywood.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Unthinkable Becomes Reality

• Netflix Acquires Warner Bros.: Netflix officially won the bid to acquire Warner Bros. for $83 billion, beating out Paramount and Comcast.
  • "Could you imagine telling yourself 15 years ago that the DVD rental company Netflix was going to one day be buying Warner Brothers? Like, that is just simply insane." — Brett (01:16)
• Why This Matters: Most people might not care about Hollywood shifts, but Cooper argues this is fast becoming a major political and cultural flashpoint with domino effects on what we watch, how we watch, and who controls media narratives.

How the Deal Went Down

• Surprise Winner: Although Paramount was expected to win due to better political connections and an easier regulatory path, Netflix emerged as the victor at the last minute (02:10).
• Netflix’s Strategy: The merger is the logical endgame for Netflix, seeking to dominate both streaming and production, finally consolidating a vast content library from "Harry Potter" to "Stranger Things" with enormous reach (03:12).
• Not All Assets: The deal splits Warner Bros., with cable channels like CNN and HGTV spun off to "Global Discovery." Netflix gets the big movie and TV catalog, not the news and lifestyle networks (05:45).

Consumer Reaction: Convenience vs. Concern

• Short-Term Win for Viewers?: Some consumers appreciate consolidation into fewer services:
  • "Like, streaming is king now. This is less subscription platforms to keep up with... It's consolidated. It seems simple for the consumer." — Brett (06:04)
• Bigger Issue Looms: The move could devastate independent cinema, theaters, and competition:
  • "This will have a massive impact on the future of entertainment." — Brett (06:21)

Bipartisan Political Backlash

Right-Wing Concerns

• Jack Posobiec’s Critique:
  • Quotes Netflix’s alleged Obama/Biden connections as proof that the deal is “a monopoly to own the minds of America and America’s youth” (09:38).
  • Points to former Obama aide Susan Rice on Netflix’s board as evidence of political influence (09:45).
• MK Ultra Paranoia: Posobiec and supporters claim Netflix employs “trauma imagery and behavioral nudging” as the new form of mass psychological control:
  • "MK Ultra never left. It just evolved. Instead of dosing one person with acid, they dose billions with repetitive scripting, trauma imagery and behavioral nudging." — Posobiec supporter (10:03)
• Brett’s Personal Reflection: Remembers her mother’s rule against TV to keep outside values away:
  • “Her reason...was not just that she wanted me to go outside and touch grass...but it was because she did not want somebody else's values to come into our home." — Brett (11:04)

Left-Wing (and Populist) Worries

• Elizabeth Warren on Monopoly Danger:
  • "A Netflix Warner Brothers would create one massive media giant with control of close to half the streaming market. It could force you into higher prices, fewer choices over what and how you watch and may put American workers at risk." (12:28)
• Antitrust Arguments: Both sides see the merger as a violation needing government intervention, albeit for different reasons. Cooper highlights the irony:
  • "Where Posobiek and Elizabeth Warren do seem to agree is on the issues of monopolies and antitrust laws." (11:37)

Industry and Hollywood Reaction

• Hollywood Not Happy:
  • Anonymous list of producers sends open letter to Congress, fearing the end of independent movies and theaters; warn Netflix will shift all releases to their platform, skipping theaters (16:28).
  • "[Netflix] could stand to destroy the theatrical marketplace by escalating or eliminating the amount of time that Warner Bros. films would play in theaters." — Open Letter via Variety (16:48)
• Legacy vs. Streaming Culture:
  • "HBO has made some of the greatest TV shows of all time. Warner Brothers has made some of the best movies ever. Netflix has made some of the worst of both." — Jake (17:36)
• Collective Anxiety:
  • "It is about locking everything into streaming and forgetting what made movies matter in the first place... It is not progress. It is the death of cinema dressed up as convenience." — HD Movie Source (18:44)

The Debate Over Storytelling, Art, and Convenience

• Netflix’s Own Words: A Netflix CEO said the idea of making movies for big screens and enjoying them communally is "an outdated concept" (19:32).
• Creative Competition: Christopher Nolan (president of the Director’s Guild) emphasizes the importance of competition for talent and creative freedom in his critique (20:38).
• Anonymous Dissent: Producers keep the letter unsigned for fear of retaliation, highlighting already outsized influence before the merger is complete (19:56).

The Deal Isn’t Done Yet — Legal and Market Hurdles

• Paramount’s Hostile Bid: As of recording, Paramount is preparing a hostile bid, keeping the outcome uncertain (21:00).
• Heavy Regulatory Scrutiny: The merger faces an intense DOJ antitrust review, with skepticism from the White House and DOJ about Netflix’s reasoning (21:04).
• Historical Parallels: Cooper references the 1948 Supreme Court case (United States v. Paramount), which broke up vertically integrated Hollywood studios—hinting that similar antitrust logic could apply here:
  • "Before this case in 1948, the major Hollywood studios... controlled the entire movie pipeline from production to distribution. They literally owned the theaters... With this deal, we're now seeing the opposite. We are seeing the streamer now owning the studio." — Brett (21:10, 21:56)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Deal’s Mind-Boggling Scale:
  "Comparing Casablanca to Squid Game and K Pop Demon Hunter should not be allowed." — Brett, joking about the merger’s marketing (03:50)

• Cultural Anxiety and Nostalgia:
  "Collectors know the difference. Physical releases, theaters, the shared experience of film. That’s humanity. That’s like real person interaction, art. That is cinema... It’s the death of cinema dressed up as convenience." — HD Movie Source on X (18:56)

• On the Cycle of Tech and Media:
  "Now they finna combine all the streaming services and introduce Gen Z into a new streaming service called cable... We have come full circle." — Reading a viral comment (15:35)

• Industry Irony:
  "It is incredibly ironic that they are now all in favor of this vibrant competition for talent and movies when so many of them in Hollywood grandstand about capitalism and support socialist candidates." — Brett (20:53)

• Personal Reflection:
  "Every day I realize how right and ahead of the curve she really was." — Brett, on her mother’s TV restrictions (11:27)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Topic/Quote | |---------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:12 | Brett introduces the Netflix–Warner Bros. deal and its cultural significance | | 03:12 | Details on financials, motivations, and consumer perspective | | 06:21 | The political and cultural stakes of the merger | | 09:34 | Jack Posobiec’s reaction and discussion of Netflix’s political influence | | 12:28 | Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s criticism of the merger | | 16:28 | Hollywood’s open letter to Congress and fears for independent cinema | | 18:44 | Social media reactions: “the death of cinema dressed up as convenience” | | 19:32 | Netflix CEO dismisses big-screen moviegoing as outdated | | 20:38 | Christopher Nolan’s statement on creative competition | | 21:00 | Paramount’s hostile bid and DOJ antitrust review | | 21:10 | Historical context: the 1948 United States v. Paramount case |

Conclusion & Takeaway

Brett Cooper pieces together a landscape where technology, politics, cultural identity, and generational values collide over the fate of storytelling and media power. The merger, while seemingly about content consolidation, exposes anxieties over monopoly power, cultural manipulation, creative freedom, and the very meaning of cinema.

The episode leaves listeners with big questions: Is this merger death or rebirth for entertainment? Is it merely about streaming convenience, or a cultural tipping point? And with Hollywood, politicians, and the public all at odds, who (if anyone) really wins?

For more episodes and exclusive content, check out cooperconfidential.com