The acquisition by Netflix of Warner Bros. Discovery movie studio and HBO streaming networks, worth 72bn dollars, has raised antitrust doubts from the US President Donald Trump. At a Washington, DC, event, Trump stated that the current presence of the already very large market share of Netflix would increase by a significant amount in the case of the deal, which he said would make it a potential challenge for competition regulators.
It is one of the biggest entertainment mergers in the years as the agreement would put a lot of major franchises under Netflix: Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, The Matrix, and The Lord of the Rings. The deal will be completed when the business structure of Warner Bros is reorganized later on in 2026; however, it should initially be passed by the US competition regulators.
Even though Trump commended Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, he stated that he would be personally engaged in the decision, even though he praised his leadership. The US Justice Department can oppose the merger in case it concludes that the unified firms would control the streaming market.
