Media Mergers: The Big Changes Coming in 2026

In 2026, the media world is going through big changes. Companies are merging, investing in new tech, and selling parts of their businesses. This is happening because streaming services are growing, and some rules about owning TV stations might change. Netflix made a huge deal to buy Warner Bros' studios and streaming assets for $82 billion. Other big deals include Silver Lake and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund teaming up to buy Electronic Arts for $55 billion. Charter Communications is buying Cox for $34. 5 billion. Nexstar is acquiring Tegna for $6. 2 billion, but this deal needs approval from the government. Companies are also spinning off parts of their businesses. Comcast's Versant Media will start trading soon, and Warner Bros Discovery plans to separate Discovery Global networks from Warner Bros in the third quarter of 2026. Disney invested $1 billion in OpenAI, the company behind Sora, which is an AI tool.Some deals didn't happen, like Venu Sports, a planned venture of Fox, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Disney. But Disney quickly bought Fubo and merged it with Hulu + Live TV. Fox launched a new streaming service called Fox One, and Disney debuted its ESPN streamer. The media industry is also dealing with AI. Some AI companies have used copyrighted material to train their models. Industry experts say that AI companies should make deals with IP owners to use their content legally. The media world is changing fast. Companies are merging, investing in new tech, and dealing with AI. It's an exciting time, but there are also challenges ahead.