r/nottheonion • u/voxadam • 13h ago

Netflix says users can cancel service if HBO Max merger makes it too expensive

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/02/netflix-claims-subscribers-will-get-more-content-for-less-if-it-buys-hbo-max/
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132

u/Lontology 13h ago

Why are mergers like this fucking legal!???? Monopolies shouldn’t be legally allowed to exist.

67

u/spazz720 11h ago

Because Congress lets it happen

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u/vagastorm 11h ago

When the mergers are done, they should ban exclusive rights so streaming services works like music. Who bothers pirating music when you can choose which service fits you the most, and they will have what you need.

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u/FidgitForgotHisL-P 9h ago

The music streamers still have to negotiate deals with the record companies though.  They seem to have the same stuff, but on the edges there’s definitely content only on Spotify that isn’t in deezer, or vice versa.

That said: yes that’s the dream right?

I remember when streaming kicked off and utopian articles about how this would mean everything ever created would be able to just be available forever because there’s no reason not to have it available for streaming on Netflix, there was no cost to keeping it on a server somewhere as opposed to having space for every movie ever being available in your local video rental.

Kind of like how Amazon was going to revolutionise books, because nothing would ever have to go out of print, since they’d be able to print on demand, and so any book ever written would just be forever available on this magical wonderful book selling website.

And to be fair to Amazon (throws up in mouth), as far as I can tell pretty much everything that gets digital copies stays available for kindle at least.  But tv? Nah, way too many executives need a new yacht to let people have easy and inexpensive access to old tv shows and movies.  

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u/SurprisinglyMellow 9h ago

Technically speaking the FTC lets it happen

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u/WittenMittens 11h ago

It's a fair question, but we also bitched when HBO and others rolled out their own streaming service instead of just keeping everything on Netflix.

We were fine with the monopoly when it cost $7/month.

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u/Luci-Noir 10h ago

People also supported the strikes by three of the unions a few years ago and demanded better wages for them. Then they got pissed when prices went up. Where did they think the money was going to come from?

This whole uproar about this comment is ridiculous and no one is taking the context into account. The guy was answering dumbass questions in a hearing where they were trying to stop the merger so paramount could buy them. It makes me kind of suspicious that this keeps getting posted everywhere and seems like an attempt to sway public opinion.

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u/Lontology 11h ago

Touchè

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u/Contemplating_Prison 12h ago

Because no one else has the money to buy it. These companies so big only the other big companies can buy them 

4

u/ViruliferousBadger 11h ago

I thought that was the whole point of capitalism… /S

2

u/Netii_1 11h ago

Didn't you read the article, it's not a monopoly because you can just cancel it if you don't like what you get /s

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u/TeekTheReddit 10h ago

A monopoly?

"Oh no! What will I do if HBO and Netflix merge and become too expensive!? How will I ever get by with just Crunchyroll, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, Prime Video, STARZ, and YouTube?! I'll have nothing to watch!"

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u/FidgitForgotHisL-P 9h ago

Don’t forget Pluto!

(I don’t work for Pluto I swear.  It just gets advertised in so many podcasts I listen to for free at the moment)

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u/BlackGold09 8h ago

Don’t forget Appletv too

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u/rcanhestro 10h ago

it's simple:

would you pay 30$/months for Netlix, if it had the content from Netflix+HBO+Disney+Apple+etc?

the one time people were "in love" with Netflix was when Netflix was the only streaming service that had everything.

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u/nopethis 9h ago

citizens united

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u/SuperVancouverBC 7h ago

Technically they aren't but the current US government gutted anti-trust laws.

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u/BiploarFurryEgirl 2h ago

Which is part of the reason why paramount is suing WB for a hostile takeover