Trump raises antitrust concerns over Netflix-Warner Bros deal, says 'he'll be involved in decision'
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump has stirred up new worries about the purchase of Warner Bros Discovery by Netflix, suggesting that the huge size of the deal and the market share that would result might lead to a problem of antitrust.
The deal that has been discussed, said to be valued at around $82.7 billion, would have Netflix buying the major studio assets of Warner Bros as well as their streaming service package, which comes with HBO Max.
Combining Netflix’s worldwide streaming platform with one of the oldest and most popular libraries of movies and television shows from Hollywood would be the result of that.
Trump raises concerns over 'very big market share'
Q: Should Netflix be allowed to buy Warner Brothers?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 7, 2025
TRUMP: That's a question. They have a very big market share. I'll be involved in that decision pic.twitter.com/pEgMxKi2XP
Speaking to reporters at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, Trump acknowledged meeting with Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos last week and said, “But it is a big market share. It could be a problem.”
He said Sarandos was a "great person" who has done "one of the greatest jobs in the history of movies."
He also said, “Well, that’s got to go through a process, and we’ll see what happens.”
Netflix has “a very big market share, and when they have Warner Bros, you know, that share goes up a lot,” the president said.
Trump confirms he would oversee the decision
Bloomberg and Reuters both reported Trump confirming he would be personally involved in overseeing the process.
“I'll be involved in that decision,” Trump told reporters as he arrived at the Kennedy Center for its annual awards show, according to Reuters.
Speaking to reporters at the Kennedy Centre on Sunday, December 8, Trump said Netflix is a great company that has done a "phenomenal job."
The announcement of Warner Bros's sale has drawn criticism. Paramount CEO David Ellison was at the White House last week, where he objected to the deal on antitrust grounds, per a report by The New York Post. Paramount Skydance had been competing with Netflix and Comcast to buy Warner Bros.
This is not the first time Trump has become involved in a merger decision. In 2017, he opposed AT&T's proposed acquisition of Time Warner, saying it was "not good for the country."
Netflix's stock price is down about 7% in the past five days, while Warner Bros' stock price is up more than 8% in the same period.
Cinemas and theatrical-distribution groups in the US and internationally have similarly warned that a streaming behemoth with such overwhelming power could lead to less diversity in the film slates and the giving of foremost place to direct-to-streaming releases rather than to theatrical windows.
