The year 2026 promises to be difficult at Warner Bros Games
This is what everyone already assumed regardless of the outcome of the Warner Bros. takeover. Discovery, but Ted Sarandos, CEO of Netflix, reminds us once again with more concrete information.
Speaking to Bloomberg about Netflix’s withdrawal from the race to acquire Warner Bros., the streaming service bigwig mentioned the fact that he was able to take a look at the costs of this venture, given that Netflix and Warner Bros. had reached a deal a few weeks ago (before Paramount competed). He was thus able to see that what cost Warner Bros the most was obviously its human cost, and indicated that $16 billion in cuts to be made over the next 18 months :
“ We were in the accounts of Warner Bros., and the main expense items were production staff. There will be budget cuts of more than $16 billion. They are telling their lenders that this will happen in about 18 months. »
If the cinema and television sector is of course in the sights of these cuts, the video game sector is also in great danger, perhaps more so. Even if JB Perrette, director of the group’s gaming section, announced a return to serious business with a stronger line-up from 2027-2028, David Ellison may not want to wait until now to save money. And since Warner Bros. Games is in crisis, this division is ideal for budget cuts.