US President Donald Trump has added his voice to concerns about Netflix's planned $83bn deal to buy Warner Bros Discovery.
At an event in Washington DC on Sunday, Trump said Netflix has a "big market share" and that the firms' combined size "could be a problem".
"Well, that’s got to go through a process, and we’ll see what happens," he told reporters.
"They have a very big market share," Trump said of Netflix. "When they have Warner Bros., that share goes up a lot."
Netflix, which has more than 300 million subscribers, is the world’s biggest streaming service. Likewise, Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming services have over 128 million subscribers.
Trump said he would consult "some economists" before the deal get his stamp of approval. "I’ll be involved in that decision, too," he said.
He also said that Ted Sarandos, Co-CEO of Netflix, recently visited the Oval Office and praised him for his work at the company.
"I have a lot of respect for him. He's a great person," said Trump. "He's done one of the greatest jobs in the history of movies."
Netflix emerged as the winner of the Warner Bros auction last week, topping rival offers from Paramount and Comcast. However, Paramount Skydance this week fought back by launching a hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros Discovery.
Even before Paramount launched its hostile bid, the Netflix deal had roused opposition from some unions, industry organisations, and politicians.
Michael O’Leary, CEO of exhibitor organisation Cinema United, commented: “Netflix’s stated business model does not support theatrical exhibition. In fact, it is the opposite. Theatres will close, communities will suffer, jobs will be lost.”
The Writers Guild of America stated: “The world’s largest streaming company swallowing one of its biggest competitors is what antitrust laws were designed to prevent. The outcome would eliminate jobs, push down wages, worsen conditions for all entertainment workers, raise prices for consumers, and reduce the volume and diversity of content for all viewers… This merger must be blocked.”
Jason Kilar, former CEO of WarnerMedia and Co-Founder of Hulu, wrote on X: “If I was tasked with doing so, I could not think of a more effective way to reduce competition in Hollywood than selling WBD to Netflix.”
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently approved the $8bn merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media. The approval came just weeks after Paramount Global agreed to pay $16m to settle a legal dispute with US President Donald Trump over an interview it broadcast on its subsidiary CBS with former Vice-President Kamala Harris. Discover more here.
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