Netflix shares are exploding over the admittedly thin rumor that Amazon wants to buy them. An options analyst tells Bloomberg that, "There's heavy call buying and the stock is up on renewed takeover talk, with Amazon being mentioned specifically."

That would be a pretty expensive Christmas in July for Amazon—Netflix ain't exactly a startup. But they have a lot in common: They're both playing hard in digital streaming, and see themselves evolving as content providers (see: Kindle, Xbox 360), branching out from their core business of shipping stuff to people.

But the rumor has a fairly odd genesis, so don't hold your breath too long—unless you're about to jump in a pool. Still, it would make a beautiful kind of sense, right? [Bloomberg via TechCrunch]

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