Netflix Sees No Price Hikes After Merger with HBO Max, Ted Sarandos Says
In a bid to alleviate concerns over the potential price hikes that could arise after its proposed merger with Warner Bros. Discovery's (WBD) streaming and movie studios businesses, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos stated that users have the freedom to cancel their subscriptions at any time.
Sarandos made this statement in front of a US Senate Judiciary Committee subcommittee on antitrust, competition policy, and consumer rights during an examination into the competitive impact of the proposed Netflix-WB transaction. The executive emphasized that 80 percent of HBO Max subscribers also subscribe to Netflix, suggesting that there is overlap between their user bases.
Despite concerns over the potential concentration of power in the streaming industry, Sarandos argued that both Netflix and Warner Bros. have complementary services, with users benefiting from a wider range of content offerings.
In response to queries regarding how Netflix can ensure that its streaming service remains affordable after a merger, Sarandos pointed to the company's current pricing strategy, where subscribers can easily cancel their subscriptions at any time if they find it too expensive. The executive also claimed that previous price hikes have come with additional value for consumers.
The proposed acquisition has raised concerns over concentration in the industry, but Sarandos sought to downplay these worries by highlighting the competitive nature of streaming services and pointing out the high TV viewership of YouTube, a platform where users can watch content on their TVs rather than laptops or tablets.
In a bid to alleviate concerns over the potential price hikes that could arise after its proposed merger with Warner Bros. Discovery's (WBD) streaming and movie studios businesses, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos stated that users have the freedom to cancel their subscriptions at any time.
Sarandos made this statement in front of a US Senate Judiciary Committee subcommittee on antitrust, competition policy, and consumer rights during an examination into the competitive impact of the proposed Netflix-WB transaction. The executive emphasized that 80 percent of HBO Max subscribers also subscribe to Netflix, suggesting that there is overlap between their user bases.
Despite concerns over the potential concentration of power in the streaming industry, Sarandos argued that both Netflix and Warner Bros. have complementary services, with users benefiting from a wider range of content offerings.
In response to queries regarding how Netflix can ensure that its streaming service remains affordable after a merger, Sarandos pointed to the company's current pricing strategy, where subscribers can easily cancel their subscriptions at any time if they find it too expensive. The executive also claimed that previous price hikes have come with additional value for consumers.
The proposed acquisition has raised concerns over concentration in the industry, but Sarandos sought to downplay these worries by highlighting the competitive nature of streaming services and pointing out the high TV viewership of YouTube, a platform where users can watch content on their TVs rather than laptops or tablets.
I mean, if you're not happy with your subscription, just cancel and don't look back, it's like they say "no hard feelings"... unless you've got a bunch of shows to catch up on 
. But seriously, 80% of HBO Max users are already subscribing to Netflix? That's like me saying I'm gonna watch more memes because my friend has a meme subscription 
. Anyway, Sarandos is trying to calm us down with the "complementary services" vibe, but let's be real, it's all about the Benjamins 
. And what's this about YouTube TV? Like we didn't already have enough streaming options 
. Oh well, I guess that's just the price of progress... or should I say, the price of binge-watching 
.
if you're already subscribed to hbo max and now they're merging with netflix... what's gonna change? are you just gonna be charged more because it's all under one roof? 
and ted sarandos is like, "hey guys, you can cancel anytime" but that's not really the point, is it? the point is are we gonna lose options or choices in the streaming world?
80% of hbo max subscribers are already using netflix too 
so yeah, no price hikes, not gonna happen 
and sarandos is right, ppl can cancel anytime if they wanna 
think it's all about the content, ppl will still watch whatever they want 
like ted sarandos is totally right we have the freedom to cancel our subs anytime & that's what matters most! 80% of hbo max subs are already on netflix lol what more proof do ppl need? 
also, think about it... having these two services under one roof is gonna give us SO MUCH more content 
can't wait to see what they bring to the table! 
. But hey, if it means more content for us to watch, I'm not complaining... as long as it doesn't break the bank 
Remember when streaming services first started popping up and we could finally watch all our fave shows on demand? It was like a dream come true 
. But then some of 'em started raising their prices and it was like, "Uh-oh, what's going on?" 
Anyway, I guess Ted Sarandos is trying to reassure us that HBO Max users will still be able to cancel their Netflix subs if they don't like the new pricing... but what if we just wanna keep both? 
. I mean, 80% of HBO Max subscribers are already using Netflix too, so it's not like they're gonna charge them twice for the same stuff 
. I'm a bit worried about the industry getting too concentrated, but I guess it's good that there are other streaming services out there like YouTube TV... at least people have options, right? 
. Still, Sarandos has a point - both services offer something unique, so maybe we won't see as much price inflation as we think... or will we? 
