Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is sounding the alarm over Netflix's planned $72 billion acquisition of Warner Bros., warning that the deal could create a dominant media force and raise major antitrust concerns.
Warren issued a sharply worded statement Friday, calling the proposal "an anti-monopoly nightmare" and arguing that a combined Netflix-Warner Bros. entity would wield outsized control over the nation's streaming landscape.
"A Netflix-Warner Bros. would create one massive media giant with control of close to half of the streaming market — threatening to force Americans into higher subscription prices and fewer choices over what and how they watch, while putting American workers at risk," Warren said.
The deal, announced after weeks of competitive bidding, would give Netflix's roughly 300 million subscribers access to a broad slate of Warner Bros. Discovery entertainment properties — a significant infusion of content for the streaming leader.
Before moving forward, the merger must secure approval from the Trump administration's Federal Communications Commission.
Warren and other Democrats have repeatedly accused the FCC of favoring media companies they say are politically aligned with the administration.
"Under [President] Donald Trump, the antitrust review process has also become a cesspool of political favoritism and corruption," Warren said. "The Justice Department must enforce our nation's anti-monopoly laws fairly and transparently — not use the Warner Bros. deal review to invite influence-peddling and bribery."
Warner Bros. Discovery, like other legacy media conglomerates, has been under mounting financial pressure as cord-cutting accelerates and viewers migrate to streaming platforms.
Warren also criticized the Trump administration earlier this year after the FCC signed off on the merger between Paramount — parent company of CBS News — and Skydance.
"Bribery is illegal no matter who is president," Warren said in a statement at the time. "It sure looks like Skydance and Paramount paid $36 million to Donald Trump for this merger, and he's even bragged about this crooked-looking deal."
She added, "I've been ringing the alarm bell for months, launching a Senate investigation into possible corruption, and this merger must be investigated for any criminal behavior. It's an open question whether the Trump administration's approval of this merger was the result of a bribe."
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