According to Deadline, the Writers Guild of America said that they are not in favor of the Netflix-Warner Bros. Discovery deal for $82.7 billion. The WGA on the East Coast and the West Coast came together to issue a statement to the US government to stop the merger. The statement from the WGA reads, “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. Industry workers along with the public are already impacted by only a few powerful companies maintaining tight control over what consumers can watch on television, on streaming, and in theaters. This merger must be blocked.”
Deadline reported that the Directors Guild was the first to share their thoughts about Netflix acquiring WBD. Not being in favor of the merger, a DGA spokesperson stated the merger “raises significant concerns for the DGA.” They plan to meet with the two streamers to “better understand their vision for the future of the company.”
According to Deadline, WBD had two other potential suitors: David Ellison’s Paramount and Comcast. Ellison accused WBD of favoring Netflix and making the sale tilted after his company’s three previous offers were declined. He lamented that Paramount’s offer was the best choice, given how a Netflix or Comcast merger would have alerted regulators.
The WGA East and West jointly stated in October that they would block any merger of these giant companies, saying the mass consolidation of media “would be a disaster for writers, consumers, and for competition,” according to Deadline. This massive industry shift precedes the contract negotiations of all three Hollywood unions — the WGA, DGA, and SAG-AFTRA — scheduled for spring 2026. Both the writers and the actors guilds will primarily focus on health and pension plans, which took a large hit in the past few years.