Hollywood’s unions wasted no time responding to Netflix’s planned eighty-two point seven billion dollar acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. While Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos characterized the deal as “pro-worker,” the people who actually represent those workers are saying the opposite, warning that the merger could collapse competition, eliminate jobs, and destabilize the already-stressed entertainment ecosystem.
Statements from guilds and labor organizations began rolling in late Thursday. They continued through Friday morning, with writers, directors, producers, drivers, and performers voicing serious concerns about the future of employment, wages, and creative opportunity under a further consolidated industry.
The Writers Guild of America delivered the fiercest response, calling outright for the deal to be stopped.
WGA: “This merger must be blocked.”
Representing more than twenty thousand writers, the WGA East and West warned that allowing “the world’s largest streaming company” to absorb one of its biggest competitors would violate the very principles of antitrust law.
“The outcome would eliminate jobs, push down wages, worsen conditions for all entertainment workers, raise prices for consumers, and reduce the volume and diversity of content for all viewers,” the Guild stated.
WGA West board member Mike Schur added his own blunt assessment on Bluesky: “All media mergers end up hurting writers, actors, directors, and everyone else who works in the industry. Fewer companies means fewer jobs, period.”
Teamsters: A “call for alarm”
Teamsters Motion Picture Division chief Lindsay Dougherty echoed the urgency, calling the deal “yet another call for alarm” as consolidation continues to swallow the industry.
“Netflix is the biggest streaming service in the world. Consolidating its power over the streaming video market not only kills jobs but also raises prices and hurts the U.S. entertainment industry,” she said.
The union vowed to push back “across all levels of government” and urged antitrust enforcers to reject the deal.
DGA: A “vibrant, competitive industry” is at stake
The Directors Guild of America was the first to weigh in, tempering its language but still expressing “significant concerns.”
“We believe that a vibrant, competitive industry — one that fosters creativity and encourages genuine competition for talent — is essential to safeguarding the careers and creative rights of directors and their teams,” the DGA said.
The Guild has scheduled meetings with Netflix to better understand the company’s plans and will “not be commenting further” until that process concludes.
SAG AFTRA: More production, not less
SAG AFTRA said it would not take a position until it completes a full analysis, but emphasized that any deal must lead to increased production and uphold respect for human creative talent.
“A deal that is in the interest of SAG AFTRA members and all other workers in the entertainment industry must result in more creation and more production, not less,” the union said.
PGA: “Rightful concern” and a call for oversight
The Producers Guild of America also raised red flags, saying the merger heightens “rightful concern” among producers about employment security, the future of theatrical releases, and the need for strong policymaker scrutiny. Any consolidation of this scale, the Guild said, must protect opportunities for workers and uphold creative freedom.
Netflix now holds the exclusive position to finalize the deal with Warner Bros. Discovery that would be the most significant acquisition in its history. If completed, the deal would reshape the streaming landscape and give Netflix control over one of Hollywood’s most storied film studios and one of its most valuable libraries.
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