Republican attorneys general from 11 U.S. states have called on the Department of Justice to thoroughly examine Netflix’s proposed purchase of studio and streaming assets from Warner Bros.
The states argue that the deal could threaten U.S. dominance in movies and lead to higher prices, less innovation, and reduced reliability for consumers.
The big picture: Nebraska and Montana led the effort, emphasizing potential negative effects on both streaming service customers and the market for theatrical releases.
- Attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Iowa, North Dakota, Kansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Utah joined the letter, while California’s attorney general is reviewing the deal separately.
- The group warns that Netflix’s control of Warner Bros.’ content and its absorption of HBO Max would reduce competition among streaming platforms.
- Concerns were also raised by movie theater industry groups that the merger could lead to fewer theatrical releases.
State of play: The pressure comes as Warner Bros Discovery is also considering an increased bid for Paramount from Skydance, putting additional regulatory and competitive scrutiny on the Netflix proposal.
