No Buyout in Sight: Zelnick Shuts Down Netflix Acquisition Talk

In a recent CNBC interview reported by GameSpot, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick addressed speculation that the company's Netflix tie-in for the upcoming GTA 6 trailer might hint at a future acquisition. Zelnick was direct in his response, saying Take-Two isn't interested in selling to Netflix or anyone else at the moment.

According to the report, Zelnick pointed to the existing arrangement between the two companies, noting that Take-Two has "made a bunch of deals" with Netflix for distributing titles through Netflix Games. While some GTA entries have since been removed from that library, Red Dead Redemption remains available to Netflix subscribers. Zelnick suggested Netflix's broader push into entertainment naturally lends itself to gaming as a way to boost subscriptions and revenue.

When pressed on whether Netflix might accelerate its gaming ambitions through a major acquisition, Zelnick redirected the question to Netflix co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters, noting that Netflix has historically favored organic growth over big purchases. GameSpot's report referenced Netflix's collapsed pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery, which fell through after Paramount offered better terms, though Netflix has picked up smaller studios like Night School Studio and Boss Fight in the past.

As for Take-Two's own independence, Zelnick emphasized the company's financial standing, citing projected revenue north of $8 billion this year and consistent profitability. He described Take-Two as the largest publicly traded pure-play in the games industry and said the company has earned the right to remain independent, especially as rivals like Activision Blizzard and Electronic Arts have gone private under new ownership. The comments come as Rockstar prepares to reveal more GTA 6 footage via Netflix on August 27, ahead of the game's November launch.