Jason Kilar, Ex-WarnerMedia CEO, Discusses the Netflix-WB Deal and Its Impact on Hollywood Competition
In a significant development for the global film and television industries, Netflix is reportedly in exclusive negotiations to acquire Warner Bros Discovery. This news has sparked a wave of reactions across Hollywood.
Jason Kilar, the former CEO of WarnerMedia, was quick to voice his opposition to the potential deal. Kilar, who led WarnerMedia from 2020 to 2022, expressed his concerns in a post on X, highlighting the implications of such a merger for competition within the industry.
“If I was tasked with doing so, I could not think of a more effective way to reduce competition in Hollywood than selling WBD to Netflix,” Kilar posted as news broke of the negotiations late last night.
In a subsequent response to a comment challenging his view, Kilar elaborated, stating, “When I use the phrase competition in Hollywood, I am referring to having a sufficient number of vibrant and robust entities that can and will aggressively compete against each other to produce and distribute films, series, live events and more for decades to come. I am not focused on the legacy of it all.”
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“If I was tasked with doing so, I could not think of a more effective way to reduce competition in Hollywood than selling WBD to Netflix” — Jason Kilar (@jasonkilar) December 4, 2025
Kilar’s tenure at WarnerMedia is notable for several reasons, including overseeing the launch of HBO Max and implementing the controversial ‘Project Popcorn’ initiative. This strategy allowed Warner Bros’ 2021 film slate to be released on HBO Max alongside theatrical showings, a move that sparked backlash among filmmakers. Despite the upheaval, HBO and Max ended 2021 with 73 million combined global subscribers.
Though he embraced changes that collapsed the traditional theatrical window, Kilar remains staunchly opposed to the notion of Netflix acquiring Warner Bros.
