Trump says Netflix-Warner merged size 'could be a problem'

(Sharecast News) - US President Donald Trump has weighed into Netflix's planned $83bn deal to buy Warner Brothers Discovery, saying the merged group's combined size "could be a problem". The two entertainment giants struck a deal on Friday, but industry figures have already started voicing concerns about the potential dominance of the new entity. Competition authorities still have to approve the takeover.

Speaking at an event at the John F Kennedy Center in Washington, Trump said Netflix has a "very big market share" which would "go up by a lot" if the deal proceeded.

He warned he would be personally involved in the decision on whether or not to approve the deal.

The Writers Guild of America's East and West branches called for the merger to be blocked, saying 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," it said on Friday.

Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com