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Written question asked by Baroness Berger (Labour) on Wednesday, 26 November 2025, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 10 December 2025. It was answered by Baroness Twycross (Labour) on Thursday, 11 December 2025 on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Netflix: Warner Bros Discovery

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of Netflix’s proposed acquisition of Warner Brothers Discovery on competition and consumer prices in the UK streaming market, on investment in UK film and TV productions, and on the viability of the UK cinema sector.

Answer

The Government is aware that Netflix has submitted a bid for Warner Bros. Discovery's studio and streaming assets as part of an ongoing acquisition process. As the bidding process is ongoing and no transaction has been finalised, it would not be appropriate to provide comment further on this individual case.

As set out in our Creative Industries Sector Plan, the Government recognises that convergence in the TV and streaming market is leading to greater consolidation as companies seek economies of scale. Should any proposed transaction progress, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) would be responsible for examining implications for competition and consumers. The Government has committed to asking the CMA, working with Ofcom, to set out how changes in the sector could be taken into account as part of any future assessment of the television and advertising markets.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL12334
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Competition Film Media Takeovers Netflix Warner Bros Discovery
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk