Netflix fires the opening shot in the ‘Streaming Wars’.

On Friday last week, the world of audiovisual platforms received news that, while not entirely unexpected, was no less astonishing: the giant Netflix was opening its chequebook to make an offer for the studios and catalogue of Warner Bros – Discovery, including its HBO platform, for more than eighty-two billion dollars (if the regulator approves it, as, despite reports, the company with the big red ‘N’ has not yet purchased anything).

However, as in Hollywood films, yesterday its rival in this hunting game, Paramount Skydance, counterattacked with an offer of one hundred and eight billion dollars. The figures are staggering—just to give some perspective: the first offer is roughly equivalent to the nominal GDP of Luxembourg; the second is almost that of Angola, according to the World Bank (2022).