Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) weighed in on Paramount’s apparent victory in the battle over Warner Bros., after Netflix dropped out of a bidding war for the assets.
“What was true for Netflix is still true now for Paramount,” Schiff said in a statement. “The merger of two of Hollywood’s biggest studios must be subject to the highest levels of scrutiny, free from White House political influence, to determine its impact on American jobs, freedom of speech, and the future of one of our nation’s greatest exports.
“We need to bring moviemaking back to our shores, increase production, and invest in our workforce. For the sake of America’s moviemaking workforce and movie lovers everywhere, I will continue to push all parties to do their part.”
Earlier this month, Schiff and Rep. Laura Friedman (D-CA) called on Netflix and Paramount to make “concrete commitments” to preserve film and TV jobs with an acquisition of Warner Bros. Unlike Netflix, Paramount’s offer is to buy all of Warner Bros. Discovery, including its cable channels such as CNN and TNT. They noted in their letter that Paramount was projecting to cut $6 billion in expenses over three years.