Analysts Say Apple More Likely To Acquire Netflix In 2018

Disney might not have any plans to acquire Netflix after announcing the development of its own streaming service platform, however, it seems like another big company could try and purchase the American streaming media entertainment company.

In a new report by Business Insider, analysts from Citi say that it's very likely that Apple will purchase Netflix this year because of the new tax bill that was recently signed into law by POTUS Donald Trump. The legislation passed by Congress provides a large cut on corporate tax, giving "a one-time allowance for companies to repatriate cash stored overseas without worrisome hits."

This new legislation provides Apple with a larger cashbox for buying new companies. According to Citi's analysts, Apple currently has $252 billion in its pockets with most of the money lying in foreign jurisdictions. The corporation was previously unable to bring this cash back to the US, however, Trump's new law now allows it to repatriate more or less $220 billion in cash.

With so much money in hand, analysts predict a company acquisition very likely, and Netflix has been marked as the top contender. Apple would need just a third of the $220 billion to purchase Netflix, providing the company with a powerful streaming service asset.

While this all sounds like very exciting news for Netflix, subscribers have to wonder what might happen to the streaming service if the sale really does occur. Would apple attempt to incorporate Netflix with iTunes, or would it keep the two services separate from each other? Would this mean the development of Apple original programs?

Let's wait and see.

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