The Varsity

The WaPo Reckoning & TikTok’s Next Act

7 snips
Jan 28, 2026
Sara Fischer, Axios media reporter known for breaking media and tech stories, joins to unpack major industry moves. She covers The Washington Post’s cutbacks and the business logic behind them. She breaks down Netflix’s bid for Warner Bros. Discovery and what it means for cable. She analyzes TikTok’s new ownership and how it could reshape the app’s backend and product.
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ADVICE

Explore Funding To Protect Independence

  • Consider nonprofit models, reader donations, or subscriptions to fund independent journalism.
  • Diversify funding sources to protect newsrooms from owner-driven political or commercial pressures.
INSIGHT

Netflix–Warner Deal Faces Long Fight

  • A Netflix–Warner Bros. Discovery deal would trigger long legal and regulatory battles in the U.S. and Europe.
  • Sara Fischer expects protracted litigation and tough European reviews before any potential 2027 close.
INSIGHT

Cable Spinout Will Retain Value

  • Warner Bros. Discovery plans to spin out its cable channels into a public company called Discovery Global.
  • Cable networks still generate substantial cash and some sports assets will persist within the spun-out company.
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