Sen. Elizabeth Warren slams Netflix’s $72B deal for WBD, calls it an ‘anti-monopoly nightmare’
Senator Elizabeth Warren slammed Netflix’s $72‑billion purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery’s studios and streaming arm as an antitrust “nightmare” that would hurt workers and consumers, adding to the bipartisan backlash that swirled around the entertainment megadeal on Friday.
Netflix spun the deal as a job‑creating boost that would give its 300 million subscribers “more bang for their buck” by adding fresh content at a time when the administration is pushing for affordability and lower subscription costs. Even before the deal was officially announced, Republicans had already raised objections, and Democratic opposition intensified on the same day.
“This deal looks like an anti‑monopoly nightmare,” Warren said.
In a graphic, the article illustrated how a Netflix‑Warner merger could “force Americans into higher subscription prices and fewer choices over what and how they watch, while putting American workers at risk,” according to the Massachusetts Democrat who champions strong antitrust enforcement.
Netflix beat out David Ellison‑led Paramount Skydance—which had submitted several unsolicited offers and has close ties to the former Trump administration—for the deal.
Throughout the negotiations, Republican lawmakers warned that bundling HBO Max and Warner Bros.’ content catalog would reduce consumer choice and give Netflix an unacceptably large share of the streaming market. Senator Mike Lee – chair of the Senate antitrust committee – warned on Wednesday that a Netflix purchase of WarnerBs’ streaming assets “should send alarm to antitrust enforcers around the world.” In a post on X, he added, “Netflix built a great service, but increasing Netflix’s dominance this way would mean the end of the Golden Age of streaming for content creators and consumers.”
Republican Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas and Representative Darrell Issa of California also urged federal antitrust regulators to scrutinize the deal last month, arguing that a lack of competition would pressure Netflix to release fewer movies in theaters.
Given the scale of the transaction and the addition of HBO Max’s roughly 128 million subscribers to Netflix’s 300 million base, the merger is set to face a thorough review by the Justice Department. While Netflix cites shifting viewing habits and the fact that YouTube now ranks as the most popular platform for watching TV, a DOJ spokesperson declined to comment on Friday.
Deal investigations can take months, requiring companies to hand over enormous amounts of data and internal competition assessments. Netflix estimates the merger will close within 12–18 months.
Even though Netflix made the highest bid, it has to contend with being a political underdog compared to Paramount Skydance’s government ties. “We’re highly confident in the regulatory process. This deal is pro‑consumer, pro‑innovation, pro‑worker, it’s pro‑creator, it’s pro‑growth,” CEO Ted Sarandos said after the announcement.
The DOJ antitrust unit is headed by Gail Slater, a former executive at Fox Corp. and Roku, who earlier advised Vice President J.D. Vance and has repeatedly championed the use of antitrust tools to protect U.S. consumers, workers, and innovation.
Former President Trump has a history of intervening in major media mergers, lobbying the Justice Department to block AT &T’s $85 billion purchase of Time‑Warner despite his concerns about media concentration and CNN. That acquisition ultimately survived in court in 2018 and 2019.
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