Money, Money, Money

Media conglomerates and streaming services are changing the way we watch.

Meghan Lynch, Editor-in-Chief of the Ledger | March 18, 2026

Greed is single-handedly destroying the media industry.

The entertainment industry is all smoke and mirrors. The glamor and the blinding lights are a cover for the reality of show business, which is about one thing: money.

The vast majority of media is controlled by just a few giant conglomerates that produce and fund the movies and shows we see on our screens today.

One example of this is Disney, which has acquired Marvel, Lucasfilms, ESPN, National Geographic, ABC, and—recently—Hulu.

Additionally, there was a newly big story surrounding Netflix’s impending purchase of Warner Bros. Pictures, which would allow them rights to huge franchises—including Harry Potter and DC. They would also own the streaming service HBO Max.

While these situations could be brushed off as only being business deals, it actually has a much bigger impact on the things we see on TV and in movie theaters. Essentially, it’s a problem with choice, or lack thereof. Over the last several years, we’ve already seen streaming services charge more for subscriptions with ads or combined subscriptions. This issue stems from greed and a need for control.

“Social power encompasses market power, as those who possess it inevitably seek to monetize their dominant position,” said Alim Ulbashev, who wrote for a University of Cincinnati law journal. These big corporations are in the business of making money, not making movies, and that has detrimental effects on the quality of movies and shows we see today.

In the worst case scenario, media monopolies can—and often do—lead to censorship. One company, one person, could shut down an entire idea for any reason, and that’s dangerous not only to art as a concept, but also to the understanding of different perspectives that people gain from movies, which is already at risk. A few people should not have overwhelming authority over what people watch and expose themselves to.

Media monopolies pose a huge problem for everyone who has ever watched a movie that changed their life because it’s those smaller indie films that are on the line when it comes to these studio deals. The entertainment industry, much like everything else in this world, is primarily concerned with money, and many studios and executives are willing to sacrifice an artist’s voice to make a quick buck. It’s essential that artists and creatives have the opportunity to tell their stories, because that’s what makes media interesting and engaging. It’s the personal stories that give media a life of its own.

The Rise of Physical Media

Movies don’t exist anymore.

Not physically, at least. When was the last time you bought a DVD of a new movie?

Odds are, it’s been a while, and that’s exactly what huge media and streaming conglomerates want.

The downfall of physical media has become a popular topic of discussion as of late, and many people are making a conscious effort to bring back more analog technology. For example, younger generations have started vinyl or CD collections, trying to lessen how much time they spend on their phone.

While that’s a good practice, it’s also important to note that the majority of people are only becoming more technologically dependent, meaning that physical media is being approved for production less and less, because it’s all about profit. Physical media isn’t being bought as much as it used to be, and studios and record labels don’t want to lose a single cent in producing a CD if not many people are going to buy it.

The only way to get physical media back is to continue, or start, buying CDs, vinyls, and DVDs. Supply will only go up if demand does, and it’s incredibly important for art to actually exist in the real world, not just as code in our phones.

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About the Contributor

Meghan Lynch, Editor-in-Cheif of The Ledger

Meghan Lynch is a senior, and this is her fourth and final year with LHS Publications. She is Editor-in-Chief of the “Ledger” magazine and Co-Founder/Co-President of Students Demand Action. In her free time, Lynch enjoys reading, writing, and recently collection vinyl records. She loves music, movies, and books because they let her explore different sides of herself and she loves to analyze language and art. She is going to be an English and Political Science major at the University of Kansas fall of 2026. Lynch is planning to do multiple study abroad programs during her time at KU, and is so excited to see the world and experience new things.