If there’s one thing the nearly $83 billion dollar proposed Netflix acquisition makes painfully clear, it’s that antitrust laws were invented for moments like this. And yet here we are, collectively shrugging while the world’s largest streaming platform swallows one of its biggest competitors like it’s an afternoon snack, consolidating control over our entertainment in a way that should make consumers and regulators alike cry.

Somewhere between endless binge-watching and billion-dollar boardroom deals, we’ve completely lost the plot. Streaming mergers, acquisitions, and exclusive rights have turned competition into a joke. The peak absurdity? Paying for “choice” while a single company decides what most of us can actually watch.

And that’s exactly the problem: when one platform controls so much of the market, real choice disappears. Prices creep up, content narrows, and the convenience we bragged about when we cut the cable cord suddenly starts feeling a lot less liberating, and a lot more like the system we thought we left behind.

What This Means for Us

Fewer competitors equals fewer options. Expect subscription hikes, less diversity in content, and a menu that looks infinite, but is curated to squeeze every penny and eyeball out of you.

And yes, we are right back to cable. Remember the bundled channels, the gatekeeping, the endless scrolling for something decent to watch?

Buy Physical Media. Seriously.

Physical media is freedom. Blu-rays, DVDs, even vinyl are immune to streaming monopolies. Want to watch your favorite movie without being told it’s “unavailable in your region” or “rotating off the platform”? Own it.

While the giants consolidate and algorithms run your living room, physical media keeps choice in your hands.

Cable 2.0: High Definition, Same Problems

We cut the cords thinking we’d escaped cable. And yet, history has a sense of humor. One giant controlling what we see, while pricing convenience, creating scarcity, and nudging us toward the content they want us to consume? Instant ick.

The Takeaway

Netflix swallowing its competitor isn’t just business news, it’s a cautionary tale about what happens when markets are unregulated, competition shrinks, and convenience trumps ownership. The real win? Physical media, independent content, and conscious consumption.

Stop renting your entertainment. Own it. Control it. And don’t let history repeat itself in your living room.

Keep your media in your hands, not someone else’s algorithm. Own it, watch it, love it.