Hollywood Unions and Industry Groups Unite to Stop Netflix-Warner Bros Discovery Mega-Deal
Writers Guild, SAG-AFTRA, Teamsters and cinema-owners warn takeover would slash jobs, reduce theatrical releases and hurt competition
A broad coalition of Hollywood unions and industry trade groups has mobilised against Netflix’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, declaring the deal a threat to employment, creative diversity and the future of theatrical cinema.
Key actors in the opposition include the Writers Guild of America (WGA), Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), Teamsters, film exhibitor organisation Cinema United, and other theatre-owner associations.
On 5 December 2025 the WGA issued a joint statement condemning the merger, asserting that “the world’s largest streaming company swallowing one of its biggest competitors” runs counter to the purpose of antitrust laws.
The guild warned the deal would eliminate jobs, depress wages, deteriorate working conditions for entertainment workers, raise costs for consumers and diminish content diversity.
SAG-AFTRA similarly urged regulators to scrutinise the proposal’s impacts on creative labour, residuals and production volume.
The Teamsters, representing below-the-line workers — including drivers, casting professionals and crew — flagged the merger as a “direct threat to good union jobs” throughout film and television production.
Cinema United and other theatre-owner groups cautioned that consolidation under a streaming-first model threatened theatrical distribution, predicting a sharp decline in box-office releases and jeopardising the viability of movie theatres across the U.S.
The unions and exhibitor groups have launched a coordinated campaign calling on antitrust authorities in the United States and Europe to block the deal.
Their demands include enforceable commitments on theatrical release windows, collective-bargaining protections, preservation of union jobs, and safeguards for creative and economic diversity in the entertainment sector.
Netflix executives have defended the acquisition as beneficial for studios, creators, and consumers — pledging continued investment in original content and ongoing theatrical film releases post-merger.
Yet industry insiders and many workers remain sceptical, arguing that without binding guarantees, the deal could undermine longstanding labour agreements and reshape Hollywood into a far more consolidated, streamer-dominated ecosystem.
The pushback intensifies as the deal proceeds toward regulatory review, raising the prospect that labour-industry resistance could become a decisive factor in its fate.
Key actors in the opposition include the Writers Guild of America (WGA), Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), Teamsters, film exhibitor organisation Cinema United, and other theatre-owner associations.
On 5 December 2025 the WGA issued a joint statement condemning the merger, asserting that “the world’s largest streaming company swallowing one of its biggest competitors” runs counter to the purpose of antitrust laws.
The guild warned the deal would eliminate jobs, depress wages, deteriorate working conditions for entertainment workers, raise costs for consumers and diminish content diversity.
SAG-AFTRA similarly urged regulators to scrutinise the proposal’s impacts on creative labour, residuals and production volume.
The Teamsters, representing below-the-line workers — including drivers, casting professionals and crew — flagged the merger as a “direct threat to good union jobs” throughout film and television production.
Cinema United and other theatre-owner groups cautioned that consolidation under a streaming-first model threatened theatrical distribution, predicting a sharp decline in box-office releases and jeopardising the viability of movie theatres across the U.S.
The unions and exhibitor groups have launched a coordinated campaign calling on antitrust authorities in the United States and Europe to block the deal.
Their demands include enforceable commitments on theatrical release windows, collective-bargaining protections, preservation of union jobs, and safeguards for creative and economic diversity in the entertainment sector.
Netflix executives have defended the acquisition as beneficial for studios, creators, and consumers — pledging continued investment in original content and ongoing theatrical film releases post-merger.
Yet industry insiders and many workers remain sceptical, arguing that without binding guarantees, the deal could undermine longstanding labour agreements and reshape Hollywood into a far more consolidated, streamer-dominated ecosystem.
The pushback intensifies as the deal proceeds toward regulatory review, raising the prospect that labour-industry resistance could become a decisive factor in its fate.
