Netflix CEO dismisses monopoly concerns over potential Warner Bros. deal

LOS ANGELES — Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos said Saturday that he does not expect President Donald Trump to inappropriately interfere in the company’s proposed merger with Warner Bros., characterizing the deal as a standard Department of Justice (DOJ) matter.

Speaking at the DGA Awards, Sarandos acknowledged that while the president maintains a "deep interest" in the entertainment industry, there has been no indication of political meddling. The comments follow a statement from Trump to NBC News earlier this week in which he pledged to remain uninvolved in the regulatory review.

Sarandos defended the merger during a recent Senate subcommittee hearing, dismissing concerns over market concentration as "ludicrous." He cited intense competition from other platforms, noting that YouTube already accounts for 15% of all television viewing time.

The co-ceo stated that Netflix currently holds a 9% market share, which would rise to 10% after incorporating HBO. He argued that such a small increase does not constitute an antitrust violation.

Sarandos also pledged to continue releasing Warner Bros. films in theaters and rejected various allegations regarding the type of content hosted on the streaming platform.

Ted Sarandos’ defense of the merger is less a standard corporate endorsement than a sophisticated maneuver at the intersection of legal strategy and public relations. At its core, Sarandos is attempting to fundamentally redefine the "relevant market" to satisfy antitrust regulators. By positioning Google-owned YouTube as a direct competitor, he effectively dilutes Netflix’s perceived market dominance, recasting the streaming giant as a mid-sized participant in a sprawling global video ecosystem—a calculated pivot designed to redirect regulatory heat toward Big Tech rivals.

The tactical invocation of President Trump is equally deliberate. Sarandos is performing a delicate balancing act: acknowledging executive influence while simultaneously seeking to ring-fence the Department of Justice’s jurisdiction to mitigate political volatility. Given the administration’s historically unpredictable approach to mega-mergers, leveraging the President’s stated hands-off posture serves to de-risk the deal’s political optics, even if it does not entirely insulate the transaction from federal oversight.

Furthermore, Netflix’s commitment to theatrical windows and its rebuttal of content-based critiques represent a broader effort to mollify key stakeholders. By addressing the existential anxieties of legacy Hollywood and the concerns of influential political blocs, the company is constructing a narrative of stability. The overarching argument is that this consolidation will not stifle competition or creativity; rather, it is a pragmatic recalibration in a "Wild West" media environment. Ultimately, the resolution of this deal will establish a critical precedent for the next wave of M&A activity across the technology and media sectors.

If approved, this agreement could impact Vietnamese Americans primarily as consumers, potentially leading to changes in content availability and subscription costs on streaming platforms. However, the deal is not expected to have a direct effect on the community’s small businesses—including the nail salon industry or local phở restaurants—nor will it impact broader concerns such as remittances, Little Saigon hubs, or visa categories like F2B, H-1B, and EB-5.