Trump raises potential concerns over $72bn Netflix-Warner Bros deal

US President Donald Trump has flagged potential concerns over Netflix’s planned $72bn (£54bn) deal to buy Warner Brothers Discovery’s movie studio and popular HBO streaming networks.

At an event in Washington DC on Sunday, he said Netflix has a “big market share” and the firms’ combined size “could be a problem”.

On Friday, the two companies said they had reached an agreement that could bring Warner Brothers’ franchises like Harry Potter and Game of Thrones to Netflix, creating a new media giant.

The planned deal, which has raised concerns among some in the industry, is yet to be approved by competition authorities. The BBC has contacted Warner Brothers, Netflix and the White House for comment.

The US Justice Department’s competition division, which oversees major mergers, could contend that the deal violates the law if the combined businesses account for too much of the streaming market.

At an event at the Kennedy Center in the US capital, Trump said that Netflix has a “very big market share” which would “go up by a lot” if the deal goes ahead.

Trump added that he would be personally involved in the decision on whether or not to approve the deal and repeatedly highlighted the size of Netflix’s market share.

He also said that Netflix’s co-CEO Ted Sarandos recently visited the Oval Office and praised him for his work at the company.

“I have a lot of respect for him. He’s a great person,” said Trump. “He’s done one of the greatest jobs in the history of movies.”