Washington’s latest antitrust skirmish says less about consumers than it does about politics.
At a recent Senate hearing, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) warned that the proposed combination of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery would harm the public. It is a familiar claim among some politicians, but one that ignores the current realities of the streaming marketplace.
Today, streaming is not a collection of equal players. It is a hierarchy. Exact subscriber estimates vary depending on the source, but one consistent thing is that Netflix dominates the streaming marketplace. With global reach and deep pockets, recent price increases have caused consumers and regulators alike to speculate on the company’s market and pricing power. There are two main paths to address these concerns: regulatory intervention, which comes with debatable success, or market forces that drive increased competition.
Tirzah Duren is the President and CEO of the American Consumer Institute, a nonprofit education and research organization. Follow Tirzah on X @tzduren.