Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat representing Massachusetts, has called for scrutiny regarding two proposed acquisition bids for Warner Bros. Discovery.
In an interview with Morning Edition, Warren stated that these deals present concerns related to antitrust regulations and could potentially reduce competition for both consumers and workers.
Warner Bros. Discovery currently has an $83 billion sale agreement with Netflix, which is pending finalization. Simultaneously, Paramount Skydance, an entity owned by Larry Ellison and his son David Ellison, founder of Skydance Media, is pursuing a separate acquisition of the company through a hostile takeover.
Senator Warren indicated that Paramount Skydance's bid raises additional concerns due to the Ellisons' reported connections to former President Trump and foreign investors. She articulated that such a deal could consolidate control over content production, streaming service offerings, and pricing for consumers. Warren also questioned the potential for news content to be influenced by political affiliations.