Earlier this year, Paramount/Skydance acquired Warner Bros Discovery, overtaking Netflix’s offers for the studio in a long feud. With the likes of Bugs Bunny and SpongeBob SquarePants set to share the same home should the deal be confirmed, an unexpected factor might have arrived for Netflix specifically. Over the years, the streaming service has created its fair share of original animated projects for its younger audiences, though the new deal might have thrown a monkey wrench into this fact in more ways than one. In a new report regarding the streaming service’s ratings, the loss of taking the WB might prove to have some unexpected speed bumps for Netflix.
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As of a recent report from the Netflix Kids Content Performance report, around one-third of programming on the streaming service is either owned by Paramount or Warner Bros. With the two studios set to merge, this means a third of the children’s content will be under one umbrella. At present, the programming includes Peppa Pig, SpongeBob SquarePants, Teen Titans Go!, The Loud House, and The Amazing World of Gumball, with the Warner Bros and Paramount-created series remaining some of the most watched. According to kid television consultant Emily Horgan, it is an “open question” as to how the upcoming merger will “reshape the windowing of these titles for Netflix.”
The Future of Netflix Animation
In the same report, the write-up noted that the loss of some of these Paramount/Warner Bros titles from Netflix might be a hit to the streaming service down the line. “Under an exclusivity model, the loss of titles like Teen Titans Go! and The Amazing World of Gumball would represent a hit to Netflix’s kids engagement numbers. There’s no question these titles would all sit very comfortably alongside SpongeBob SquarePants in a strong animation offering for Paramount+, making the prospect of losing them to a consolidated competitor a real consideration for Netflix’s kids strategy.”
While Netflix might not be housing all new episodes and movies for SpongeBob Squarepants, the streaming service did release two original films focusing on Bikini Bottom. Specifically, Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie and Plankton: The Movie were released on Netflix in 2024 and 2025, respectively. While it hasn’t been confirmed if Netflix will never be the exclusive spot for SpongeBob, it’s easy to see why the potential Warner Bros/Paramount merger might see the new fused studio avoiding the streaming service to build up HBO Max’s library further.
Luckily, the future merger won’t stop Netflix from continuing to be a player in the animation world. On the anime front, the streaming service recently released the long-awaited debut of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run, along with a new season of Pokémon Horizons. With the streaming service also preparing to return to the Upside Down with Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, the platform has plenty of animation in the works outside of Bikini Bottom.
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Image Courtesy of Prime Video & Dark Horse Comics
