What the Warner Bros deal could mean for streaming, cinemas and news

the warner bros-paramount skydance deal is moving ahead, with expectations of regulatory approval under trump. the merger would combine hbo max and paramount+ into a single service, putting it against netflix, amazon, and disney. for now, people paying for both could get a cheaper bundle, but analysts say less competition means higher prices over time. netflix sets the ceiling, so any increases are capped. for cinemas, the deal is a reprieve — unlike netflix, paramount and warner bros still need ticket sales. but consolidation will likely mean fewer films, as happened after disney bought fox. paramount already cut costs after david ellison merged skydance last year, and more cuts are expected since the deal added debt. "having more debt means you've got more burden, and that means you've got less to spend on content," says quilter cheviot's ben barringer. the deal also puts cnn under the ellison family, which has a friendly relationship with the white house. democrats and media advocates fear softer coverage of trump. the ellison family has already discussed changes with trump, who called for cnn to be sold in december. rodney benson of nyu called the deal "concerning," saying it concentrates media in conservative hands. but enders' tom harrington says the biggest threat to streaming isn't each other — it's youtube and short-form video.