Concerns regarding market dominance and competition in the European streaming sector

Priority question for written answer P-000514/2026
to the Commission
Rule 144
Andreas Schwab (PPE)

While the Commission cannot prejudge any future merger decision, a publicly reported acquisition by Netflix of Warner Bros' studios, intellectual property library and HBO Max could raise serious competition concerns. Netflix is already one of the fastest-growing providers in the subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) market. Further consolidation may reduce consumer choice, weaken incentives to sustain quality and innovation, increase subscription prices, and expand the scale and scope of user data collection.

Moreover, the aggregation of catalogue libraries and editorial assets could have significant consequences for European cultural diversity and for national and independent production ecosystems. These issues are relevant to competition policy, consumer welfare, and the long-term sustainability of Europe's audiovisual sector. They also merit careful scrutiny under EU merger control rules.

• 1.Is the Commission also concerned about market dominance and ongoing consolidation trends in the SVOD sector?
• 2.Will the Commission assess the competitive impact of a potential Netflix-Warner Bros transaction beyond its price effects, including the implications thereof for data collection, catalogue aggregation, and Europe's cultural diversity and production ecosystems?
• 3.Is the Commission monitoring information exchanges between Netflix and Warner Bros during the due diligence procedure, and has it verified that effective safeguards are in place to prevent the disclosure of competitively sensitive information?

Submitted: 9.2.2026