The Senate Judiciary’s subcommittee on antitrust, competition and consumer rights is putting the $83 billion Netflix-Warner Bros. deal back in the hot seat.
The new hearing, which is slated for March 4 at 2:30 p.m. ET, will examine competition and monopsony concerns related to the proposed combination. Witnesses for the hearing have not yet been announced.
The latest hearing comes after Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos and Warner Bros. chief strategy officer Bruce Campbell testified before the committee earlier this month. Sen. Mike Lee, who serves as the committee’s ranking Republican, sent follow-up questions to the pair following the February hearing, asking for more specifics on the companies’ plans, including around content spending, licensing and production as well as how YouTube exerts pressure on the companies.
“We have received outreach from actors, directors, and other interested parties about the proposed Netflix and Warner Brothers merger, and I share many of their concerns,” Lee said in a statement earlier this week. “I look forward to holding a follow-up hearing to further address these issues.”
Representatives for Netflix did not immediately return TheWrap’s request for comment. A Warner Bros. Discovery spokesperson declined to comment.
Sarandos is visiting the White House on Thursday to discuss the streamer’s $83 billion deal. His visit comes after Trump demanded that Netflix fire board member and former UN ambassador Susan Rice or “pay the consequences.”
It is unclear if Sarandos will also meet with Trump, though his schedule states that he will hold a private meeting in the Oval Office at 3 p.m. ET.
