Elizabeth Warren says both bids for Warner Bros. Discovery to buy are bad for consumers

Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat who represents Massachusetts, is calling for an investigation into two bids to buy Warner Bros. to take over Discovery. In an interview with Morning editionWarren said the deals raise serious antitrust concerns and would reduce competition for viewers and workers.

Warner Brothers agreed to an $83 billion sale to Netflix, but that deal has not yet been finalized. And now Paramount Skydance – owned by Larry Ellison, one of the richest people in the world, and his son David Ellison, founder of Skydance Media – is pursuing the company through a hostile takeover.

Warren said Paramount Skydance’s efforts raise additional concerns given the Ellisons’ ties to President Trump and foreign investors.

She warned that the deal could leave “one person who essentially decides which movies get made, what you get to see on your streaming service and how much you have to pay for it.” Warren also raised questions about whether the news “could be controlled by a political ally of the president.”

Listen to the full interview by clicking play in the blue box above.

Editor’s Note: Warner Bros. Discovery is one of NPR’s financial supporters.

The radio version of this interview was produced by Phil Harrell and edited by Olivia Hampton. The digital version was adapted for the web by Majd Al-Waheidi and edited by Obed Manuel.