What If Musk Bought Netflix?

What If Elon Bought Netflix?

May 03, 2022

April 19, 2022

Twitter is the center of the news cycle right now thanks to Elon Musk agreeing to buy the troubled social media site for $44 billion. But let's play a bit of what if. What if Elon Musk decided to buy another struggling media site: Netflix? Here are a few fun takeaways.

"Next, I'm Buying Netflix and..."

Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter has spawned an endless number of meme tweets of Elon supposedly announcing his next round of purchases and fixing what's broken. From McDonald's (fixing the ice cream machines) to Doritos (filling the entire bag), these memes are mostly just wishful thinking from Musk fans. But it does make us wonder: If Elon made Netflix a buy-and-fix mission, what would he fix?

1. "Wokeness"

Elon Musk is no fan of "wokeness". And recently, following Netflix's report that it lost customers, Musk blamed the company's focus on "woke" content as why. Given Musk is fairly straightforward, if he did purchase Netflix it would likely mean an overhaul on what type of content the company produces, and the editorial direction that content takes. 

3. Pricing Model Changes

This may be a simple thought experiment, but Musk buying Netflix will almost certainly bring with it some pricing changes --- and almost certainly an ad-based model. Pricing increase? Maybe. But Musk would likely try to add content tiers in a model similar to what you see at some Netflix competitors, like Peacock. 

4. Shut It Down for the Laughs

Would Elon buy Netflix and then shut it down for the laughs? Probably not. If there's one thing Musk loves, it's making money. And if there's one thing he's proven he's good at it's...making money. 

This Week's Streaming Guide

1. ABC's Unscripted True Crime Series Premieres

ABC's "What Do You Believe?" takes viewers through real crimes from different perspectives. Streaming today (May 3) at 10 PM EST. -

  2. Pike and the Enterprise Return in 'Strange New Worlds' 

Adventure returns to the Trek universe this Thursday (May 4) as "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" premieres. -

  3. Island Thriller 'Welcome to Eden' Premieres on Netflix 

"A group of young adults attend a party on a remote island, but the tempting paradise they find waiting for them holds dangerous secrets and entrapments." Streaming this Friday (May 5) on Netflix. -

4. Hulu's 5-Day True Crime Drama 'Candy' Premieres Monday

The dramatic retelling focuses on the real 1980s murder committed by Candy Montgomery. Streaming Monday, May 9. -

News and Industry Developments

1. "Schitt's Creek" Moving from Netflix to Hulu

Netflix is losing yet another major show to a competitor that owns the rights. -

2. Cord-Cutters Are Now Following Their Favorite Content Around Providers

People are willing to join new services when their favorite content leaves to other platforms. -

3. Netflix Cuts Marketing Staff After Losing Subscribers

The company is thinning its costs by cutting staff, but this one feels personal. -

4. Disney+ Should Avoid These Mistakes with Upcoming Lando Star Wars Show

The show has promise, so long as Disney doesn't make these mistakes. -

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