Notable early reaction to Netflix's deal to acquire Warner Bros

NEW YORK (AP) — Netflix's $72 billion deal to acquire Warner Bros. studio and its film and television operations drew quick reactions Friday.

Film and television industry entities including guilds and the lobbying group for movie theater owners criticized the deal, warning it would harm consumers and cinema owners.

In announcing the deal, Warner Bros. and Netflix executives touted the deal's benefits. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said the deal “will ensure people everywhere will continue to enjoy the world’s most resonant stories for generations to come,” while Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said it would “give audiences more of what they love.”

Here's a roundup of notable early reactions to the deal:

“Netflix’s stated business model does not support theatrical exhibition. In fact, it is the opposite. Theaters will close, communities will suffer, jobs will be lost.”

“Today’s news that Warner Bros. Discovery has accepted a purchase bid is an alarming escalation of the consolidation that threatens the entire entertainment industry, the democratic public it serves, and the First Amendment itself.” — in a statement

“As we navigate dynamic times of economic and technological change, our industry, together with policymakers, must find a way forward that protects producers’ livelihoods and real theatrical distribution, and that fosters creativity, promotes opportunities for workers and artists, empowers consumers with choices, and upholds freedom of speech. This is the test that the Netflix deal must pass. Our legacy studios are more than content libraries – within their vaults are the character and culture of our nation.” — in a statement.

“Netflix’s $82 billion attempt to buy Warner Bros. would be the largest media takeover in history — and it raises serious red flags for consumers, creators, movie theaters, and local businesses alike. One company should not have full vertical control of the content and the distribution pipeline that delivers it. And combining two of the largest streaming platforms is a textbook horizontal Antitrust problem. Prices, choice, and creative freedom are at stake." — in a statement.

“This deal looks like an anti-monopoly nightmare. A Netflix-Warner Bros. would create one massive media giant with control of close to half of the streaming market — threatening to force Americans into higher subscription prices and fewer choices over what and how they watch, while putting American workers at risk.” — in a statement.

The world’s largest streaming company swallowing one of its biggest competitors is what antitrust laws were designed to prevent. 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. ... This merger must be blocked.” — in a statement.

“Repeated consolidation in this industry has already cost so many film and television jobs, and any merger should be evaluated on its impacts on competition and employment.” — in a statement. Her district includes Hollywood and the areas where Netflix's headquarters and the Warner Bros. studio are located.

“If I was tasked with doing so, I could not think of a more effective way to reduce competition in Hollywood than selling WBD to Netflix.” — in a post on X.

FILE - Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., attends a news conference about SNAP benefits, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

FILE - Rep.-elect Laura Friedman, D-Calif, talks to reporters after attending new Congress member orientation, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

FILE - WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar attends the 15th annual CNN Heroes All-Star Tribute at the American Museum of Natural History on Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

FiLE - Michael O'Leary, president and CEO of Cinema United, addresses the audience during the "State of the Industry" presentation at CinemaCon, on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

FILE - Ted Sarandos arrives at the premiere of "The Electric State" on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, at The Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - David Zaslav arrives at the season three premiere of "The White Lotus" on Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, at Paramount Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

FILE - The Netflix logo is shown in this photo from the company's website on Feb. 2, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

SIEM REAP, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia said Friday it has drafted its first law targeting online scam centers, after vowing to shut them down by the end of April.

Cambodia is a major hub for scam operations, which extort money from victims online through bogus investment schemes and feigned romances. Victims around the world are estimated to have been cheated out of tens of billions of dollars annually.

At the same time, thousands of people, especially from other Asian nations, have been recruited with false job offers and then forced to work in scam centers in conditions of near-slavery.

“This law is the most important legal instrument for Cambodia in combating scams online, fighting money laundering and demonstrating that Cambodia is not a paradise or a safe haven for criminals,” Information Minister Neth Pheaktra said in a statement.

The new legislation approved by the Cabinet sets five to 10 years in prison and a fine of 500 million to 1 billion riels ($125,000-250,000) for organizing or directing a technology fraud site. In case of human trafficking or violence, detention or confinement, the penalties rage from 10 to 20 years plus a fine of up to 2 billion riels ($500,000). In case of a death linked to a scam center, the offense is punishable by imprisonment from 15 to 30 years, or life. Workers have died when they tried to escape.

The new legislation must be approved by Parliament.

Senior Minister Chhay Sinarith, in charge of the Commission for Combating Online Scams, told The Associated Press in an interview on Wednesday that the government since July had targeted 250 locations believed to be carrying out online scams, and has shut down about 200.

Since last July, the government has filed 79 cases involving 697 alleged scam ringleaders and their associates, according to Chhay Sinarith.

Cambodia has repatriated almost 10,000 scam center workers from 23 countries, with fewer than 1,000 waiting to return home. Others who have escaped or been released from raided centers have returned on their own.

Neth Pheaktra said that the government “has made strong efforts to combat this crime in order to protect Cambodia’s reputation and economy, which have previously been damaged by online scams, and the government does not receive any revenue from these activities.”

Cambodia has launched previous crackdowns but without major effect on scam centers, and some experts are skeptical it can eliminate the criminal industry.

“The real question is whether this effort targets the system that enables the industry, not just the buildings where scams happen,” said Jacob Sims, an expert on transnational crime and a visiting fellow at Harvard University’s Asia Center. “Past crackdowns in Cambodia have often left the financial and protection networks intact, allowing operations to quickly reconstitute.”

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Associated Press writer Grant Peck in Bangkok contributed to this report.

Equipment confiscated in a raid by Cambodian police are laid out on a table at a scam center in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

Bun Sosekha, Deputy Commissioner in charge of Security Unit, Phnom Penh Municipal Police, gives a tour of a scam center to journalists in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

Equipment used at a scam center in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)