Donald Trump flags antitrust risks in Netflix–Warner mega-merger

US President Donald Trump cast a long, gleaming spotlight over Netflix’s sweeping bid to acquire Warner Bros., hinting that the streaming titan’s towering reach may run into antitrust tempests. His remarks — delivered amid the sparkle of the Kennedy Center Honours red carpet — have stirred global murmurs across an entertainment world already bracing for one of the century’s most transformative media unions.

Strolling past the cameras and chandeliers, Trump paused to warn that Netflix’s ever-growing command of the streaming landscape “could be a problem” once the Warner Bros. empire is folded under its banner. “They have a very big market share,” he said, his voice carrying down the velvet-lined corridor. “When they have Warner Bros., that share goes up a lot… It could be a problem.” The president, draped in ceremony yet speaking with deliberation, signaled that he himself would weigh in on any regulatory reckoning.

The proposed acquisition — valued between $72 billion and $83 billion, according to reports in The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal — would unite the storied Warner Bros. vault, HBO’s crown-jewel premium content, and a sweeping galaxy of digital assets under a single streaming constellation. Netflix triumphed over aggressive bids from Paramount/Skydance and Comcast, sealing a pact that could redraw the world’s entertainment map.

Trump also revealed that Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos had recently visited the Oval Office. Though the president lauded him as “fantastic” and “almost unmatched in Hollywood history,” he returned again to the looming question of dominance. “It is a big market share,” he repeated. “There’s no question about that.”

Regulators, already alert, may now face one of their most intricate modern puzzles. If the deal sails through, analysts estimate Netflix and HBO Max would jointly command roughly 30 per cent of the US streaming market — a concentration that antitrust lawyers predict will trigger an exhaustive government review. Netflix has even braced for turbulence, agreeing to a staggering $5.8 billion breakup fee should the merger be struck down.

The ripple effects spread far beyond Washington. In global markets — especially India, where both companies have invested lavishly — Trump’s cautionary words landed like a tremor. India’s booming digital audience, central to Netflix’s non-US ambitions and crucial to Warner Bros. Discovery’s regional strategy, stands at the crossroads of what could be a sweeping realignment in content creation and distribution.

If consummated, the Netflix–Warner cosmos would become one of the most powerful cultural engines of the era — a merger capable of reshaping how stories travel, how screens are lit, and how audiences across continents experience the magic of moving images.

With IANS inputs