Former President Donald Trump has raised significant antitrust concerns regarding Netflix’s monumental $72 billion proposal to acquire Warner Bros Discovery’s studio assets and HBO streaming services. Speaking at a Washington DC event on Sunday, Trump emphasized that Netflix already commands a “very big market share” that would expand substantially through this consolidation, potentially creating competitive issues.
The landmark agreement, announced Friday, would merge Warner Bros’ iconic franchises including Harry Potter and Game of Thrones with Netflix’s dominant streaming platform, potentially reshaping the media landscape. The deal requires approval from U.S. competition authorities, with the Justice Department’s antitrust division evaluating whether the combined entity would control an excessive portion of the streaming market.
Trump revealed his personal involvement in the approval process, noting that Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos recently visited the Oval Office. The former president expressed admiration for Sarandos, stating, “I have a lot of respect for him. He’s a great person who’s done one of the greatest jobs in the history of movies.”
The proposed acquisition has generated industry-wide concerns about market concentration, with regulators examining potential violations of antitrust legislation. The combination would create an unprecedented media conglomerate with extensive control over both content production and distribution channels.