Trump says there’s “no question” that Netflix’s deal to buy Warner Bros. That might be a problem

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Sunday that Netflix’s deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery “could be a problem” due to the size of their combined market share.

“There’s no doubt about it,” Trump said, answering questions about the deal and various other topics as he walked the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors Gala.

He watches: What does Netflix’s deal to buy Warner Bros. mean? For one of Hollywood’s oldest studios?

The Republican president said he would participate in the decision on whether the federal government should approve the $72 billion deal. If approved by regulators, the merger would put two of the world’s largest streaming services under the same ownership and join Warner’s television and motion picture division, including DC Studios, with Netflix’s extensive library and production arm.

Trump said the deal, which could reshape the entertainment industry, must “go through a process and we’ll see what happens.”

“Netflix is ​​a great company. They’ve done a great job. Ted is a great guy,” he said of Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, noting that they met in the Oval Office last week before the deal was announced on December 5. “I have a lot of respect for him, but it’s a big market share, so we’ll have to see what happens.”

Asked whether Netflix should be allowed to buy the Hollywood giant behind “Harry Potter” and HBO Max, the president said: “Well, that’s the question.”

“They have a very large market share, and when they have Warner Bros., that share goes up a lot, so I don’t know,” he said. “I will be involved in that decision as well. But they have a very large market share.”

Trump said Sarandos made no guarantees at their meeting about the merger if it was approved, adding that the CEO is a “great guy” who has done “one of the greatest jobs in the history of movies and other things.”

He reiterated that the merger would create “significant market share” for the company.

“There’s no doubt about it,” Trump said. “There could be a problem.”

Associated Press writer John Carucci contributed to this report.