President Donald Trump questioned the way forward for media consolidation and market dominance Sunday evening (December 7) as he addressed Netflix’s $82.7 billion plan to accumulate Warner Bros. Discovery.

Donald Trump warned that the deal “could be a problem” because of the huge market share it might create.

Speaking from the purple carpet on the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C., Trump mentioned he intends to personally overview 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 mentioned. “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, introduced Friday, would reshape the streaming panorama by combining two main leisure giants. But earlier than the transaction will be finalized, it should go a rigorous antitrust overview by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The merger is predicted to shut after Warner Bros. Discovery splits its Streaming & Studios and Global Networks divisions into separate publicly traded entities, a transfer projected for the third quarter of 2026.

When requested instantly whether or not Netflix must be allowed to undergo 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 additionally revealed that Sarandos had not too long ago visited him on the White House and praised the chief’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 pointy rebuke of the proposed merger, urging regulators to dam the deal.

In a press release launched Friday, the union mentioned, “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 but commented on the timeline for its overview.

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