Netflix has been hit with a consumer lawsuit seeking to block the online video giant’s planned $72 billion acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery’s studio and streaming businesses.The proposed class action was filed on Monday by a subscriber to Warner Bros-owned HBO Max who said the proposed deal threatened to reduce competition in the US subscription video-on-demand market. Some members of Congress have sharply questioned Netflix’s proposal, which is expected to face significant US regulatory scrutiny under antitrust laws.Netflix did not immediately respond to a request for comment. “Netflix has demonstrated repeated willingness to raise subscription prices even while facing competition from full-scale rivals such as WBD,” the lawsuit said. The lawsuit said the Warner Bros deal would eliminate one of Netflix’s closest rivals, HBO Max, and give Netflix control over Warner Bros marquee franchises including Harry Potter, DC Comics and Game of Thrones.(This is a Reuters story)
