President Donald Trump warned Sunday that Netflix’s proposed purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery could pose a problem because it would concentrate a large share of the streaming market. Speaking on the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors, Trump said he expects to be involved in the review of the roughly $72 billion transaction if federal regulators consider it. The deal would unite two of the world’s biggest streaming companies and fold Warner’s television and film units — including DC Studios and properties like the studio behind Harry Potter and HBO Max — into Netflix’s vast library and production operations. Trump praised Netflix and its co-CEO Ted Sarandos, whom he said he met in the Oval Office the week before the Dec. 5 announcement, calling Sarandos ‘‘a great person’’ and Netflix ‘‘a great company.’’ But he stressed the enlarged market share the combined company would hold, saying that increase ‘‘could be a problem’’ and that the question of whether the sale should be allowed remains open. Trump added that Sarandos made no commitments about the merger during their meeting. The transaction will need to pass regulatory scrutiny, and Trump indicated he would play a role in that decision-making process.
