'This Deal Looks Like an Anti-Monopoly Nightmare' — Netflix's $82.5 Billion Warner Bros. Buyout Risks Job Losses and Higher Subscription Prices, Senator Elizabeth Warren Warns

Democrat Senator Elizabeth Warren has called connected the Justice Department to analyse Netflix's $82.7 cardinal buyout of Warner Bros., and branded the woody arsenic "like an anti-monopoly nightmare."

The salient person is among the archetypal to talk retired against the projected deal, which Netflix and Warner Bros. announced aboriginal this morning, and said would supply amended worth to subscribers and shareholders.

In contrast, Warren has highlighted the risks of the imaginable merger — which, if approved, volition beryllium finalized successful the 2nd fractional of 2026. In a statement, Warren said a Netflix-owned Warner Bros. risked occupation losses and higher subscription prices, and said that the Justice Department indispensable present enforce the country's anti-monopoly laws "fairly and transparently."

Senator Elizabeth Warren. Image credit: Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg via Getty.

"This woody looks similar an anti-monopoly nightmare," the legislator said successful a connection via Reuters. "A Netflix-Warner Bros. would make 1 monolithic media elephantine with power of adjacent to fractional of the streaming marketplace — threatening to unit Americans into higher subscription prices and less choices implicit what and however they watch, portion putting American workers astatine risk."

Warren's comments were echoed by US Representative Pramila Jayapal, co-chair of the House Monopoly Busters Caucus, who besides labelled the woody arsenic a "nightmare."

"It would mean much terms hikes, ads, & cooky cutter content, little originative power for artists, and little wage for workers," Jayapal stated. "The media manufacture is already controlled by a fewer corporations with excessively overmuch powerfulness to censor escaped speech. The gov't indispensable measurement in."

In the past fewer hours, 1 study has claimed Netflix is peculiarly keen to get Warner Bros.' immense contented room arsenic the streamer ramps up its imaginable to connection AI-generation tools and contented successful the future, conscionable weeks aft Disney brag Bob Iger confirmed it would imminently statesman rolling retired AI contented and capabilities via Disney+.

Criticism of Netflix's determination has besides travel from some sides of the aisle, arsenic Republican Senator Mike Lee, who besides leads the Senate antitrust committee, suggested earlier this week that the thought of the streaming work owning Warner Bros. "should nonstop alarm to antitrust enforcers astir the world."

In an capitalist telephone earlier today, attended by IGN, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos acknowledged the upcoming regulatory process that volition instrumentality spot the woody earlier it is yet approved, but struck a assured code erstwhile asked astir its chances for success. "We're highly assured successful the regulatory process. This woody is pro-consumer, pro-innovation, pro-worker, it's pro-creator, it's pro-growth," Sarandos said.

As portion of the aforesaid call, Sarandos said Netflix would proceed to merchandise Warner Bros. movies successful theaters for now, though expected theatrical merchandise windows to shorten implicit clip to go "more idiosyncratic friendly."

For now, Netflix and Warner Bros. volition proceed to beryllium tally independently until the woody is scrutinized adjacent year. It whitethorn extremity up being a lengthy process — Microsoft's $68.7 cardinal buyout of Activision Blizzard got snagged for months owed to objections by the Federal Trade Commission successful the US, arsenic good arsenic the European Commission abroad, earlier it was yet passed.

"Under Donald Trump, the antitrust reappraisal process has besides go a cesspool of governmental favoritism and corruption," Warren concluded today. "The Justice Department indispensable enforce our nation's anti-monopoly laws reasonably and transparently — not usage the Warner Bros. woody reappraisal to invitation influence-peddling and bribery."

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social