About two weeks ago, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos was summoned to testify before the US Senate about the company’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. It is a transaction valued at roughly $82.7 billion that would unite Netflix’s global streaming platform with Warner Bros.’ iconic film/TV studios, HBO and HBO Max. He ultimately testified last week.

Even after the intense exchange, one critical question lingered in Washington: if Netflix absorbs Warner Bros., who protects the thousands of jobs that make Hollywood’s economic engine run?

In a separate development following his testimony, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Calif.) wrote to both Netflix and entertainment giant leaders urging explicit commitments to safeguard jobs if the merger proceeds. The lawmakers specifically sought written assurances that Hollywood and California will remain central to any future production strategy under a combined Netflix-Warner entity, a region that employs tens of thousands of union and non-union workers across film, television, post-production and related services. 

“How will your company ensure that Hollywood and California remain central to your production and investment strategy?” they wrote. “What concrete steps will you take to preserve and expand good-paying film and television jobs in Los Angeles?”, reported by Variety.

As Variety reports, Schiff and Friedman represent San Fernando Valley district, an area with dense clusters of entertainment workers, from camera crews to set builders to editors and digital artists. Since the peak of streaming production in the early 2020s, Los Angeles County has experienced noticeable declines in on-set hours and below-the-line employment as studios economize and shoot in tax-incentive hubs like Georgia, New Mexico and Canada, trends that worry local representatives.

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As the focus shifted from jobs and consolidation, the hearing itself began to unravel, trading antitrust scrutiny for ideological theater.

The Senate hearing itself exposed a stark divide in how lawmakers approached the Netflix-Warner Bros. deal. While some lawmakers focused on economic and employment implications, portions of the Senate hearing veered into highly political territory. Republican members like Josh Hawley used their time to challenge Sarandos on issues ranging from pushing LGBTQ+ ideology to unrelated cultural grievances. 

These are moments that many observers described as distracting from substantive antitrust scrutiny. The Warner Bros. acquisition remains under review by the U.S. Department of Justice and European regulators, and Netflix must secure approval from Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders, including a scheduled vote expected in March 2026.

As regulators weigh the fate of Warner Bros., Netflix is discovering that winning approval may require more than financial logic or creative ambition. 

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What do you think? Should lawmakers demand stronger job protections as part of major media mergers? Share your thoughts.