President Donald Trump questioned the future of media consolidation and market dominance Sunday night (December 7) as he addressed Netflix’s $82.7 billion plan to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery.
Donald Trump warned that the deal “could be a problem” due to the massive market share it would create.
Speaking from the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C., Trump said he intends to personally review the merger, which would hand Netflix control of Warner Bros.’ film and TV divisions, HBO, and HBO Max.
“Well, that’s gotta go through a process, and we’ll see what happens,” Donald Trump said. “Netflix is a great company. They’ve done a phenomenal job. Ted (Sarandos, Netflix co-CEO) is a fantastic man. I have a lot of respect for him. But it’s a lot of market share, so we’ll have to see what happens.”
The Netflix deal, announced Friday, would reshape the streaming landscape by combining two major entertainment giants. But before the transaction can be finalized, it must pass a rigorous antitrust review by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The merger is expected to close after Warner Bros. Discovery splits its Streaming & Studios and Global Networks divisions into separate publicly traded entities, a move projected for the third quarter of 2026.
When asked directly whether Netflix should be allowed to go through with the acquisition, Donald Trump responded, “Well, that’s the 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. That’s going to be for some economists to tell.”
He also revealed that Sarandos had recently visited him at the White House and praised the executive’s accomplishments.
“He’s done one of the greatest jobs in the history of movies and other things. He’s got a lot of interesting things happening aside from what you’re talking about, but it is a big market share,” Trump said. “There’s no question about it. It could be a problem.”
The Writers Guild of America issued a sharp rebuke of the proposed merger, urging regulators to block the deal.
In a statement released Friday, the union said, “The world’s largest streaming company swallowing one of its biggest competitors is what antitrust laws were designed to prevent. The outcome would eliminate jobs, push down wages, worsen conditions for all entertainment workers, raise prices for consumers, and reduce the volume and diversity of content for all viewers.”
The Justice Department has not yet commented on the timeline for its review.