On Sunday, President Donald Trump expressed concerns over Netflix’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, suggesting that the merger might pose issues due to the resulting market dominance.
While attending the Kennedy Center Honors, Trump commented, “There’s no doubt about it,” as he fielded questions about the substantial deal as well as other subjects.
The president, representing the Republican party, revealed that he will play a role in determining whether the federal authorities should sanction the $72 billion merger. Should regulators approve, this union would consolidate two major streaming powerhouses, integrating Warner’s television and film assets, including DC Studios, with Netflix’s extensive content library and production capabilities.
Trump highlighted that the potential merger, which stands to transform the entertainment landscape, still requires thorough examination, stating, “It has to navigate a process, and we’ll see the outcome.”
Praising Netflix, Trump remarked, “Netflix is an exceptional company with remarkable achievements. Ted is an outstanding individual,” referring to Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos. He mentioned their recent meeting in the Oval Office prior to the deal’s announcement on December 5. “I hold a great deal of respect for him, but the market share is significant, so we’ll have to see how things unfold.”
When questioned about whether Netflix should be permitted to acquire the Hollywood titan, known for “Harry Potter” and HBO Max, Trump responded, “Well, that’s the critical question.”
“They have a very big market share and when they have Warner Bros., you know, that share goes up a lot so, I don’t know,” he said. “I’ll be involved in that decision, too. But they have a very big market share”
Sarandos made no guarantees at their meeting about the merger if it is approved, Trump said, adding that the CEO is a “great person” who has “done one of the greatest jobs in the history of movies and other things.”
He repeated that a merger would create a “big market share” for the company.
“There’s no question about it. It could be a problem,” Trump said.
.
