Netflix Warner Bros deal – our response

In response to the Netflix Warner Bros deal, announced on Friday (5 December 2025) in the States, WGGB General Secretary Ellie Peers said:

“There will be understandable concern about the impact of the Netflix Warner Bros deal, particularly from our screenwriting members in TV and film. A mega-merger like this raises red flags about competition, content and the implications for creators working in an increasingly global marketplace, at a time of industry contraction.

“As the UK faces these headwinds, it is vital that we protect our brilliant writing talent, our bold, distinctive and diverse storytelling and our unique creative eco-system, including our public service broadcasters. This is something we will continue to raise in our conversations with Government and others.

“Collective agreements underpin our work as a trade union and we are proud to have made a historic deal with Netflix – the first of its kind for writers in the UK. Not only does it set minimum terms on pay and enshrine other rights, it also means we can raise issues of concern collectively on our members’ behalf, which we hope to do with Netflix early in the New Year.

“It is only right that the Netflix Warner Bros deal faces regulatory scrutiny and we will be watching the detail closely as it unfolds.”

Update – since WGGB published this statement, Paramount has launched a hostile bid for the takeover of Warner Bros. We continue to watch developments closely.