Netflix has agreed to buy the film and streaming businesses of Warner Bros Discovery for $72bn (£54bn) in a major Hollywood deal.
The streaming giant emerged as the top bidder for Warner Bros ahead of rivals Comcast and Paramount Skydance after a drawn-out battle.
Warner Bros owns franchises including Harry Potter and Game of Thrones, and the streaming service HBO Max.
The takeover is set to lead to a radical reshaping of the US film and media industry, but analysts have warned that it could face resistance from competition authorities.
Netflix co-chief executive Ted Sarandos said that by combining the library of Warner Bros shows and movies such as Casablanca, with the streaming platform’s series such as Friends, “we can give audiences more of what they love and help define the next century of storytelling”.
“Warner Bros have defined the last century of entertainment, and together we…
