President Donald Trump on Sunday warned that Netflix’s proposed $72 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery “could be a problem” because of the combined company’s market share.
Speaking to reporters at the Kennedy Center Honors, Trump said he would be involved in the federal review of the deal, which would bring together two of the world’s largest streaming platforms and combine Warner’s television and film assets, including DC Studios, with Netflix’s extensive library and production capabilities.
“Netflix is a great company. They’ve done a phenomenal job. Ted is a fantastic man,” Trump said, referring to Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, whom he met in the Oval Office last week before the deal’s announcement on Dec. 5. “I have a lot of respect for him but it’s a lot of market share, so we’ll have to see what happens.”
Asked whether Netflix should be allowed to acquire the Hollywood studio behind “Harry Potter” and HBO Max, Trump replied, “Well that's the question. They have a very big market share and when they have Warner Bros., that share goes up a lot, so I don’t know. I'll be involved in that decision, too.”
Trump emphasized that Sarandos made no promises regarding regulatory approval but praised his track record in the entertainment industry. “There’s no question about it. It could be a problem,” he added.
If approved, the merger is expected to significantly reshape the global entertainment and streaming landscape.