Trump Says He’ll Weigh In on Netflix’s $72 Billion Warner Bros. Discovery Deal

Overview

• Netflix agreed to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery for about US$72 billion, valuing the combined enterprise at roughly US$82.7 billion, with Warner shareholders set to receive US$27.75 per share in cash and Netflix stock.
• Warner Bros. Discovery plans to spin off cable networks such as CNN, TBS and TNT before the transaction closes, while HBO Max is part of the assets being acquired.
• Hollywood unions and prominent filmmakers criticized the consolidation, with the Writers Guild of America urging regulators to block the deal over job, wage and theatrical distribution concerns.
• Rivals are pressing competition claims, and Paramount estimated the combined group could hold about 43% of global streaming subscribers.
• Regulatory and shareholder approvals are expected to take 12 to 18 months, and Warner CEO David Zaslav could unlock a windfall worth hundreds of millions of dollars through change‑of‑control equity awards.