Netflix is preparing to license major Warner Bros. television shows to competing streaming platforms, including Apple TV. The move marks a significant shift in Netflix’s content strategy and comes shortly after the company secured rights to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery for $83 billion.
With the acquisition, Netflix now controls Warner Bros. Discovery’s vast catalog, which includes HBO, HBO Max, and Discovery programming. This positions Netflix not just as a streaming leader but also as a major content supplier to its direct rivals.
Why Licensing Makes Sense
Warner Bros. has produced several major titles for Apple TV, including “Ted Lasso,” the service’s first breakout hit, even though Apple only licenses — not produces — the series. Other Warner-produced Apple TV titles include “Shrinking,” “Presumed Innocent,” and “Bad Monkey”.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos explained the growing importance of this side of the business during the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference. He noted that Netflix has never focused on producing and licensing content for third parties. However, owning Warner Bros. Television Group now gives Netflix a new avenue for growth.
Sarandos emphasized that the licensing operation is healthy and staffed by a strong team, including Warner Bros. Television Group CEO Channing Dungey. She previously helped shape major Netflix hits like “Bridgerton” before taking her current role, where she oversees which Warner properties get licensed externally.
A New Era of Collaboration
This strategic pivot shows how streaming giants are evolving. Although Netflix, Apple TV, and other platforms fiercely compete for subscribers, the industry’s economics increasingly reward cooperation. Licensing Warner Bros. hits allows Netflix to collect revenue from rivals without sacrificing its own content growth.
At the same time, services like Apple TV gain access to established fan-favorite shows, strengthening their catalogs without taking on production costs.
What Comes Next
As Netflix integrates Warner Bros. Discovery’s assets, analysts expect to see more cross-platform licensing deals. For viewers, that means greater access to popular shows regardless of where they originally aired. For Netflix, it marks the beginning of a broader business model — one that blends streaming dominance with major studio distribution.
