As of late 2025, Netflix was intending to acquire Warner Bros for around $83 billion in order to own a massive collection of classic media, such as DC Comics, Harry Potter, and HBO. The rationale for this merger was for Netflix to expand its media library, strengthen its competitive position against Disney+, and increase its influence in the streaming market. A big question for this merger is how it will affect the media industry.
These effects concern media consumers.
According to The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, surveyed U.S adults on whether they watched a new movie on a streaming platform, or in a movie theatre. About three-quarters of U.S adults said they watched a new movie on a streaming platform instead of a movie theatre.
Camila Mendoza, a worker at AMC Theatres, states, “The reason I started working in a movie theatre was not just for the pay, but for the amount of passion I have towards movies. Seeing something like this truly breaks my heart. This action will encourage people to pay for a subscription of $100 or more, allowing them to wait for a new movie to be released on their streaming service. Even though I have to admit, movie theatres have gotten expensive. I’d rather go out and buy a 20-dollar movie ticket rather than stay at home and not have that feeling of thrill when I go to a theatre.”
Most people are concerned about the rates of movie theatres in the future. Due to this, the rapid decline of physical media, such as DVDs, will result in their discontinuation.
As of 2023, DVD sales have decreased from $1.05 billion to $745 million. In the same year, on September 29, Netflix mailed its final disk, showing the finale of its DVD rental service. In October 2023, Best Buy officially announced that it would stop selling DVDs and Blu-rays.
Trina Olsen, a 10-year-long movie collector, says, “Although I do like some of the movies Netflix has made, I definitely think that the cause of physical movies decreasing is all due to streaming services. I personally love buying new movies that come out on Blu-ray and DVD to rewatch. Depending on whether it’s Blu-Ray or DVD and whether the movie has an exclusive on the physical copy, it’s usually around $20-$40. If I were to buy every single new movie that came out each month, I’d say I’m spending around $80-$100 each couple of months. So on one hand, I would understand people paying a lot of money for a subscription so they could see new movies. I just personally prefer having and collecting physical media.”
Although there are cons of streaming services overpowering movie theatres and physical media, there are also pros that people have come across as more streaming services are becoming more popular.
According to “The Pros and Cons of Streaming Services,” by Kareaudio, the advantages of streaming services would include the convenience and accessibility users have, and that includes users being able to access a wide range of content, from anywhere at any time, as long as there is an internet connection. With streaming services, you don’t own any physical media, which means having more room to declutter and having that space for other things around your house. A significant aspect that almost everyone agrees with is the cost-effectiveness that streaming services provide, including various plans offered annually or monthly, as well as free ad-supported versions, which allow consumers to fit them into their budgets. A way streaming services help users not get bored with the same media is to keep updating their library with different kinds of shows and movies, as well as services usually offering and suggesting other media based on the users’ preferences for what they recently watched.
Eli Miller, a high school junior, notes, “I love having Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max. I’m not paying for the streaming services, so I can’t say much about the payment comparison, but I love watching movies in theatres, and seeing them come back on streaming services so I can rewatch them instead of going out to the movies twice for the same movie.”
Another perspective on the pro side of streaming is from Ramond Johnson, a father of 3, who explains, “My family and I always like going out to movie theatres to watch new movies. It’s a fun family activity that we like to do at least once a month or every few months. But since money is a bit tight right now, and I keep having to go to work, it’s nice to stay in and relax in the comfort of your own home without having to buy overpriced popcorn. And although I do agree that streaming services aren’t cheap either, I think they are more beneficial for my living and my kids.”
Looking at both sides of these pros and cons, it seems like both physical media and streaming services are linked to the consumers’ benefit and liking.
