Photo Credit; Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump on Sunday raised fresh concerns over Netflix's planned $72 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, calling the potential merger a "very big market share" issue that could trigger a serious regulatory review. Speaking to reporters on the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C., Trump said he intends to be personally involved in the decision on whether the deal goes forward.
Netflix announced the blockbuster agreement on Friday, a move that would pull major franchises like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, The Matrix, and Looney Tunes under its already dominant streaming umbrella. If approved, the merger would instantly reshape global entertainment power dynamics, and potentially create the most influential streaming giant in history.
Trump, however, signaled that the scale of the combined companies may challenge U.S. competition rules. "Netflix has a very big market share," he said. "If this deal goes through, it goes up by a lot. It could be a problem." The president also confirmed that Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos visited the Oval Office last week and described him as "a fantastic man" who has done "one of the greatest jobs in the history of movies," though he maintained the merger still warrants a close look.
The Justice Department is expected to lead the antitrust review, examining whether Netflix absorbing a major competitor, and gaining exclusive control of its distribution pipeline, reduces competition, raises prices, or limits the diversity of content available to viewers. The Writers Guild of America has already urged regulators to block the merger, arguing it would cut jobs, lower wages, and shrink opportunities for creators.
For now, Netflix remains confident. Sarandos told investors that the deal is "pro-consumer" and predicted regulators will ultimately approve it. Warner Bros. Discovery, which currently reports more than 128 million streaming customers across its services, has not publicly addressed Trump's remarks.
With Netflix boasting more than 300 million global subscribers, the merger would combine two of the industry's most powerful libraries. Whether it becomes the future of streaming, or the latest mega-deal to collapse under regulatory pressure, now hinges on Washington's next move.
