Billionaire Media Titan John Malone: Big Tech’s TV Takeover is Inevitable

Streaming wars? Already over. Legacy media never stood a chance against the tech juggernauts.

The New Rules of Content

John Malone—the billionaire who built cable empires—now watches as Silicon Valley rewrites the entire playbook. No more cable bundles, no regional licensing deals. Just global platforms with bottomless budgets and terrifying data advantages.

Why Traditional TV is Bleeding Out

They can't compete on infrastructure, algorithm sophistication, or subscriber acquisition costs. Tech companies treat content loss-leaders as customer retention tools—something old-school media balance sheets simply can't stomach.

The Final Countdown

Expect more studio fire sales, desperate mergers, and that classic move where media execs blame 'market irrationality' instead of their own failure to adapt. Meanwhile, Big Tech quietly owns another slice of your attention—and your wallet.

See more from the Opening Bid podcast

• Why this billionaire media mogul is hunting for his next big sports investment

• Why Tesla's valuation is hard to read as Musk's EV empire falters

• Reebok founder on Trump tariffs: It's virtually impossible to make sneakers in US

The media industry has never had a shortage of big-name personalities. One of its swashbuckling dealmakers was Malone.

From the 1970s to the 1990s, Malone built up cable TV outfit TCI through clever deals and aggressive expansion. He then sold it to AT&T (T) for more than $50 billion in 1999.

He then became known as the man behind Liberty Media, a media conglomerate whose crown jewel is Formula One. Malone has kept a low public profile, even as he has battled with fellow media titans like IAC's (IAC) Barry Diller, Fox's Rupert Murdoch, and former Paramount owner the late Sumner Redstone.

Malone is out with a new book called "Born to be Wired," which shares his stories about being the "cable cowboy" and eventually becoming one of the dominant forces in the business of Formula One.

Brian Sozzi is Yahoo Finance's Executive Editor and a member of Yahoo Finance's editorial leadership team. Follow Sozzi on X @BrianSozzi, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Tips on stories? Email [email protected].

Francisco Velasquez is a Reporter at Yahoo Finance. He can be reached on LinkedIn and X, or via email at [email protected].