Alabama families are feeling the pain of rising costs in every market. One expense continues to climb month after month with little relief: streaming content.
Streaming services have splintered and households must manage multiple subscriptions to enjoy their favorite movies and TV shows.
For too many Alabama families, entertainment has become another bill piling up with fewer choices and less value in return.
As a retired American Linen (ALSCO) employee living in The Preserve in Hoover, I’ve seen how neighbors on fixed incomes are forced to cut back on what used to be simple family entertainment. The proposed Netflix-Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) merger is the free market’s response in an industry that needs to deliver more to consumers, and do so quickly.
It’s time to swing the pendulum back toward the consumer. The problems with today’s streaming services are obvious: content is scattered across dozens of platforms, the ecosystem has become overly complex to navigate, and costs continue to rise for ordinary Alabama families.
When examining the Netflix-WBD deal from a pro-consumer and pro-business perspective, its benefits are clear. A U.S.-based studio centered around Netflix, featuring iconic Warner Bros. characters and stories, will provide a simpler streaming experience, greater support for U.S. jobs and economies, and will enable American companies to protect American storytelling from foreign rivals, such as China.
Alabama is grateful to have our own Senator Britt serving on the Senate Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights Subcommittee as Congress weighs this important deal.
With Senator Britt involved, Alabama consumers can be assured that their best interests will be met. Senator Britt has a track record of supporting free-market economic values that guide all American industries.
This deal is an example of how consumer needs and industry problems are being fulfilled through a strategic business transaction, and it deserves our lawmakers’ support.
For many Alabama households, streaming has become a confusing and expensive experience. A combined Netflix-WBD would allow more content on fewer platforms.
75% of HBO Max subscribers are also Netflix subscribers. Instead of forcing Alabamians to pay full subscriptions for both platforms, this consolidation would bundle more content together and maintain a more stable price in the long term. This consolidation doesn’t mean fewer streaming options for the consumer; rather, it means less waste and more usable value.
Part of the America First agenda is the idea that we as Americans tell our own stories, support our own companies, and fend off foreign adversaries who stop at nothing to infiltrate our markets and control what’s on our screens.
That is what this deal accomplishes. As foreign-owned or state-backed media giants aggressively seek to shape what humanity watches, we have an opportunity to support a stronger, U.S.-based studio that maintains American competitiveness on the world stage. We must not undercut our own champions.
The merger is a win for American workers and communities. Netflix has invested billions in U.S. production, including a significant production facility in New Mexico, and has hired more than 140,000 cast and crew members between 2020 and 2024.
If tied to an iconic American studio like Warner Bros., high-volume production would be sustained across multiple states, providing good jobs and supporting local businesses. While the entertainment industry faces concerns about stability, this studio would be better positioned to keep projects moving and keep Americans employed.
Some remain concerned about competition in the media landscape. However, even after a Netflix–WBD merger, consumers would still have access to Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, Paramount+, Peacock, and YouTube, not to mention cable, satellite, and broadcast options.
This deal does not eliminate choice. It eliminates needless fragmentation in our entertainment industry that frustrates families and increases bills.
Senator Britt and her colleagues in Congress must remain firm in their adherence to the economic principles that make this deal the most sensible for American consumers.
Lawmakers and regulators should not overstep on this deal. We have seen similar vertically integrated media deals, such as Disney’s acquisition of Fox and Amazon’s purchase of MGM, get approved by the Department of Justice and open up greater opportunities to meet consumer desires.
Singling out this deal would resemble political maneuvering far more than sound antitrust enforcement.
With families under strain and America confronting growing competition abroad, our leaders should focus on what truly benefits consumers, workers, and the country’s long-term strength. Letting the Netflix–WBD merger proceed does exactly that.
C.D. Self is a retired employee of American Linen (ALSCO) and lives in The Preserve in Hoover, Alabama.
