Why Independent Media Still Matters

Netflix and Warner Bros. sitting in a tree

The media we love does not just spawn out of thin air and land in our devices and movie theaters. Rather, these shows are produced by an increasingly limited number of super organizations constantly jostling for control.

Take Netflix and Warner Bros. Netflix is the biggest streamer, with a vast library of films and shows available to watch on all kinds of devices, while also producing films and shows itself, having surpassed 300 million subscribers worldwide^[1].

Meanwhile, Warner Bros., one of the five major film studios, has its own long and glowing legacy of film production and distribution: from Batman to Harry Potter^[2], and with recent hits like Sinners, One Battle After Another, and Superman. Warner Bros. also has its own streaming platform HBO Max, with prestige shows like the Sopranos and Game of Thrones.²

And now, it looks like Netflix is going to buy Warner Bros.

Recently, the entertainment media landscape has become the site of battles waged in board meetings and investor calls, starting with Paramount (who had itself recently come under new management, officially becoming Paramount Skydance) approaching Warner Bros. to purchase them.^[3]

Nonetheless, Warner Bros. did not seem that interested. Paramount was getting funding from foreign companies to make the purchase, raising concerns about Paramount’s future debts.³ Still, it was assumed that Paramount’s good relationship with President Donald Trump would ensure a smooth regulatory process, without the government interfering with its pesky anti-trust laws.^[4]

However, there were more sharks in this pond, specifically Netflix. Warner Bros. seemed to only have eyes for them. Netflix, with its robust wealth and dominant streaming platform, swaggered into the negotiations after Paramount and offered to buy the Warner Bros. side, leaving the Discovery side alone, inciting a bidding war that Netflix won.^[5]Paramount still has not given up, though. In a “hostile takeover,” they are bypassing Warner Bros. board members and going straight to the shareholders, returning with offer after offer with more and more cash, but so far this does not seem to be panning out.^[6]

If either Netflix or Paramount buys Warner Bros., this would be some serious media consolidation, approaching something suspiciously like a monopoly over the entertainment media landscape. The CEO of Netflix, Ted Sarandos, has pushed back on this, claiming that YouTube should be viewed as a legitimate competitor of his company^[7], equating cat videos to Stranger Things. But many are not convinced, including the Writer’s Guild of America, which called for the merger to be blocked to protect jobs and consumer choice.^[8]

What does this mean for the media industry and the people working in it?

While the merger is not final yet, US and European authorities and regulators still need to decide whether it is allowed to go through, due to concerns about reduced competition and limiting consumer choices.^[9]

But if approved, it would have a tremendous influence on the media industry and its workers. With more of these media monopolies coming into existence (an example closer to home is the proposed Talpa and RTL merger^[10]) experts and those employed in media fields express a growing concern for the future.

The merger between Netflix and Warner Bros. would eliminate a major head‑to‑head competitor. It would combine the first and fourth largest streaming services into one, thereby reducing competition in the streaming business.^[11]

These developments will also lead to a decline in media pluralism^[12]. Concentrated power like this leads to the disappearance of diverse voices and perspectives, the marginalization of smaller creators and the elimination of choice.¹²

Another concern that people have is losing their jobs due to the merger. When companies in the media industry merge, the number of employers competing for talent decreases, which reduces the bargaining power of writers, actors, producers, and other workers in the industry.¹¹ This often leads to stagnant wages, fewer opportunities, and higher risks of layoffs.

These complications are not just theoretical: AT&T’s 2018 acquisition of Time Warner resulted in the loss of over 77,000 jobs, while the 2022 merger of WarnerMedia with Discovery (now Warner Bros. Discovery) led to at least 2,000 employees being fired.¹¹

The Importance of Independent Productions

Independent films are important for many reasons. First and foremost, they tell stories of people that we do not get to see in big movies. Independent productions take more risks, and they are not afraid to tell unexpected stories and cover topics that are not mainstream.

Independent films are all about capturing real emotions and originality. This is why most indie films feel so personal, raw and real: we get to see people’s stories from different backgrounds, different identities and different lived experiences^[13].

Now imagine if all the films we watch came from one major studio. The same stories. The same productions. The same people. This would not only limit creativity, but it would also narrow the range of perspectives we get to see in the cinema.

The chance to watch different people’s stories, from all over the world, through their lens, living through it with them is a unique experience. But if we forget about this, their stories will likely disappear completely.

Independent Cinemas in Rotterdam

One of the ways to support independent production companies is by visiting independent cinemas more often. Luckily, Rotterdam is a great city for alternative film lovers. There are many alternative cinema options. KINO is a favorite here in the city. It is known for its cool and modern style and they often screen films from alternative and international producers. LantarenVenster is another venue, renowned for its arthouse and international selections.

If you are looking for a smaller, more intimate cinema experience, CineNoord might be your place. Having different smaller cinemas adds to the city’s film culture and makes supporting alternative cinema more accessible.

What does this mean for IBCoM students?

As communication and media students, events like these are key in shaping the professional field in which most of us will someday work While it may not be in the film industry, developments like this affect the broader media landscape we are preparing to enter. For example, the job market can become more competitive, particularly for those in search of entry-level jobs, like us. And that is why now, more than ever, media experts are needed to oppose these major corporate mergers and support independent production and media diversity.

If all this information wasn’t enough to make you understand the severity of the situation, maybe this last fact will.

Those who are subscribed to Netflix will have probably noticed that the price of a subscription has fiercely gone up over the past years. Netflix raised its prices 9 times, by a total of 125% since 2014.¹¹ And with Netflix now carrying 60 billion dollars in debt at the time of the merger, it would have an even stronger incentive to raise subscription prices again.¹¹So if you want to continue streaming Bridgerton on a student’s budget, you better start paying attention to what is happening behind the scenes of the media industry.