The Vulture of Streaming: How Netflix is Carving Up a Dying Hollywood

In the glittering yet crumbling facade of Tinseltown, a quiet revolution—or rather, a corporate raid—is underway. Hollywood, once the undisputed epicenter of global entertainment, finds itself in a precarious state, weakened by years of internal strife, economic turbulence, and shifting consumer habits. This vulnerability has opened the floodgates for opportunistic giants to swoop in and dismantle the industry piece by piece. At the forefront of this predatory feast is Netflix, the streaming behemoth that has morphed from a DVD rental service into a monolithic force, now poised to swallow legacy studios whole. As analysts and industry watchers scrutinize this trend, questions abound: How did Hollywood get so fragile? And why does Netflix seem to benefit the most from its downfall? The answers lie in a tangled web of misinformation, pandemics, and unchecked corporate ambition, painting Netflix not as an innovator, but as a villainous opportunist.

Hollywood's Fragile State: A Perfect Storm for Acquisitions

The entertainment landscape in 2025 is a battlefield littered with the remnants of once-mighty studios. Mergers and acquisitions have accelerated at a dizzying pace, with traditional Hollywood players being absorbed by tech-savvy newcomers and deep-pocketed conglomerates. Take the July 2024 merger between Skydance Media and Paramount Global, a $8 billion deal that handed control of iconic assets like Paramount Pictures, MTV, and CBS to David Ellison's outfit. This wasn't an isolated incident; it signaled a broader wave of consolidation. By late 2025, Netflix stunned the industry by agreeing to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery's TV, film studios, and streaming division for a staggering $72 billion, effectively absorbing Warner Bros., HBO Max, and a trove of intellectual property into its empire. This move, announced in December 2025, positions Netflix as Hollywood's largest player, but critics warn it creates a "monopsony problem"—too few buyers wielding excessive power over creators and talent.

Industry experts predict even more "M&A mania" in 2025, driven by economic pressures like declining box office revenues, the fallout from the 2023 writers' and actors' strikes, and the ongoing shift to digital platforms. Hollywood's traditional model—built on theatrical releases, cable deals, and syndication—has been eroded by cord-cutting and the rise of ad-supported streaming. Studios are hemorrhaging cash, making them ripe for takeover. As one Wall Street analyst noted, the drop in deal volume in 2024 was merely a pause before the frenzy, with companies like Netflix exploiting the chaos to expand their dominance. But this isn't just business; it's a systematic dismemberment, and Netflix is the sharpest knife in the drawer.

The Covid Catalyst: Misinformation Fuels Netflix's Meteoric Rise

To understand Netflix's grip on Hollywood, we must rewind to the chaotic days of the Covid-19 pandemic during Donald Trump's first term (2017-2021), specifically the outbreak in early 2020. As the virus spread, so did a torrent of false information—claims of secret labs engineering the virus, miracle cures like hydroxychloroquine peddled without evidence, and wild theories linking it to 5G technology or government plots. Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter (now X) were overwhelmed, failing to curb the deluge despite efforts to flag and remove content. This misinformation amplified fear, prolonged lockdowns, and kept billions indoors, creating a captive audience for home entertainment.

Enter Netflix, which emerged as one of the pandemic's biggest "winners." Subscriptions skyrocketed as people, confined to their homes amid exaggerated or fabricated Covid scares, binge-watched series like Tiger King—a show that premiered in March 2020 and became a cultural phenomenon precisely because of the timing. User interactions with streaming services surged, with studies showing profound changes in behavior due to the pandemic's restrictions. Netflix's stock soared, its market cap ballooning as traditional theaters shuttered and production halted. But was this mere luck, or something more sinister?

Critics argue that the flood of Covid falsehoods—ranging from virus origins tied to classified reports to anti-vaccine hysteria—indirectly empowered Netflix by extending the very conditions that favored it. Half of Canadians, for instance, believed at least one Covid conspiracy theory, fueling resistance to reopenings and keeping viewers glued to screens. Netflix didn't just benefit; it capitalized ruthlessly, pumping out content that distracted from the chaos while raking in billions. Now, with its newfound wealth, it's buying up weakened competitors like Warner Bros., turning Hollywood into its personal fiefdom.

Conspiracy Whispers: Was Netflix's Power Grab Orchestrated?

As Hollywood's pieces are auctioned off, a growing chorus of voices— from industry insiders to online sleuths—is questioning if Netflix's ascent was part of a larger conspiracy. During Trump's term, the administration's handling of Covid info was marred by contradictions, but the real amplifier was the media ecosystem that Netflix inhabits. Some speculate that the misinformation blitz was no accident, designed to crater traditional entertainment and pave the way for streaming overlords. One X user even quipped that Netflix "orchestrated Covid to make Tiger King popular," highlighting the absurdity yet eeriness of the timing. Others point to Netflix's content slate, which included documentaries and shows that, while not directly spreading Covid lies, thrived in the misinformation-fueled isolation.

This isn't baseless paranoia. Studies using natural language processing on social media data revealed how Covid conspiracies spread unchecked, correlating with increased streaming reliance. Netflix, with its algorithms pushing endless content, became the default escape, amassing power that now allows it to devour studios like Warner Bros. Former Amazon Studios execs warn that such deals stifle competition, creating a landscape where Netflix dictates terms to creators. Is it coincidence that Netflix, unscathed by the pandemic's economic fallout, is now the buyer in Hollywood's fire sale? Or was the misinformation machine a boon for its empire-building?

The Reckoning: Can Hollywood Survive Netflix's Onslaught?

As people dissect Hollywood's woes—from overreliance on franchises to the streaming bubble's burst—the finger increasingly points at Netflix as the antagonist. Its aggressive acquisitions aren't innovation; they're exploitation of a system broken by events it indirectly profited from. With more deals on the horizon, including potential shake-ups at Disney and others, the industry risks becoming a Netflix monopoly, where creativity bows to algorithms and shareholder greed.

The examination of Hollywood's condition reveals a stark truth: Misinformation during the Covid era, amplified in Trump's first term, handed Netflix unprecedented power. Now, as conspiracies swirl about its role, one thing is clear—Netflix isn't saving Hollywood; it's feasting on its corpse. If unchecked, the dream factory may become just another tab in the Netflix app.