I'd still prefer Netflix to Paramount/Skydance. But it's a bad choice between a higher potential censoring of stories that are told & those stories mattering less given their distribution.

As much as I appreciate A24 & Neon, they're not making up the gap that'd result from Netflix/WB.

That leaves just Disney (which has its own question marks regarding viewpoints) doing wide releases for 30+ days. Universal & Sony will still be there but has fewer days before releasing films to streaming platforms. Probably same-ish for Paramount?

*But* Netflix buying WB also poses serious problems given the former's resistance to theatrical releases. There's a universe in which all releases from WB are effectively removed from theaters save for limited releases in select cities.

Paramount/Skydance's apparent potential for limiting content expressing anti-admin views would make its buying WB a particularly bitter pill to swallow, given WB distributing both Sinners & One Battle this year.

I appreciated Mike Masnick's post when his alma mater caved. The terms of NW's negotiated surrender may differ some (haven't read in detail), but my sentiments are the same: www.techdirt.com/2025/11/12/c...

The effort to spin this as somehow preserving academic freedom is so absurd it'd be funny if it wasn't doing the exact thing it's at pains to deny. Everyone knows this is a shakedown. If protecting academic freedom was important to you, you wouldve litigated to protect academic freedom.