Paramount Accuses Netflix of Campaigning Against WBD Merger
Paramount Skydance has accused Netflix of conducting a campaign against its proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). The allegation was detailed in a June 5 letter sent to the US Department of Justice's (DOJ) Antitrust Division by Paramount chief legal officer Makan Delrahim. The letter claims Netflix is attempting to influence regulators and other stakeholders regarding the transaction. Netflix has dismissed these accusations as "absurd."
Paramount Skydance has leveled accusations against Netflix, alleging that it is engaged in a campaign to undermine Paramount's proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).
These claims were made in a letter dated June 5, addressed to Jared A. Hughes, acting section chief of the Media, Entertainment, and Communications Section of the US Department of Justice's (DOJ) Antitrust Division, and A. Maya Kahn, a trial attorney for the Antitrust Division. Paramount chief legal officer Makan Delrahim authored the letter, asserting that Netflix is attempting to "poison regulators and other stakeholders" against the merger.
Delrahim's communication also serves as a response to a March letter from The International Brotherhood of Teamsters to the DOJ. The union's letter expressed concerns that the merger between Paramount and WBD could jeopardize jobs for film and TV workers. The Teamsters, representing 1.3 million members, urged the DOJ to block the merger unless "substantial and enforceable safeguards" are implemented to boost domestic production and protect employment.
Netflix has responded to Paramount's allegations by calling them "absurd."
According to Ars Technica, Politico first reported on the letter.
