1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to oppose the proposed $82.7 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. by Netflix announced yesterday. As an entertainment professional with over fifteen years of experience in this industry, I am deeply alarmed by this deal and its devastating implications for workers, competition, and the future of American entertainment. This merger would create an unprecedented concentration of power in the streaming and production marketplace. Netflix already dominates the streaming landscape with over 300 million subscribers globally. Adding Warner Bros.’ film and television studios, HBO Max, and an extraordinary library spanning from classic films to DC Comics, Harry Potter, and Game of Thrones would give a single company control over an unacceptable share of entertainment production and distribution. This is not healthy competition—it is the consolidation of an oligopoly. The human cost of this deal will be staggering. Despite Netflix’s assurances about maintaining operations, industry history shows that post-merger “synergies” invariably mean layoffs, cancelled projects, and shuttered production facilities. Thousands of skilled workers—writers, directors, actors, crew members, and support staff—will lose their livelihoods as duplicate functions are eliminated and production slates are “rationalized.” We have already witnessed this pattern with previous media mergers, and working people in this industry cannot afford another round of devastating job losses. Moreover, this consolidation fundamentally undermines the bargaining power of creative workers and their guilds. When only a handful of companies control the majority of production and distribution, workers have fewer places to sell their labor and fewer alternatives when negotiating fair wages and working conditions. The guilds representing writers, directors, actors, and crew already face enormous challenges in an industry dominated by a shrinking number of mega-corporations. This merger would tilt the playing field even further against working people. The deal also threatens theatrical exhibition, a vital part of our cultural ecosystem and a significant employer. Despite Netflix’s vague promises to maintain “theatrical releases,” their business model has consistently prioritized streaming over theatrical distribution. Warner Bros. has been a crucial partner to movie theaters. Transferring that relationship to a company fundamentally opposed to the theatrical window endangers theaters nationwide and the tens of thousands of jobs they support. I must also note that I oppose not only this Netflix deal but any acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery—including by Paramount. The entertainment industry cannot sustain further consolidation regardless of which buyer prevails. We need more competition, not less. We need more opportunities for diverse voices and projects, not fewer gatekeepers with consolidated control. I strongly urge you to call for rigorous antitrust review of this proposed merger by the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission. This deal should not be rubber-stamped as a mere formality. It deserves the most intensive scrutiny given its scale and the precedent it would set. I also encourage you to speak publicly against this merger and to use your position to ensure regulators understand the real-world impact on workers and communities. The entertainment industry is at a breaking point. We cannot afford to lose more jobs, more competition, or more independent voices. I hope I can count on your opposition to this deal.