Congress Takes Aim at Streaming Mergers

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Congress Takes Aim at Streaming Mergers

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House Judiciary Committee examines streaming antitrust — Congress held a hearing called "Full Stream Ahead" on January 7th to scrutinize the Netflix-WBD merger. The title was cute. The implications are worth understanding.

In this episode of The Option, we examine:

What the House Judiciary Committee's "Full Stream Ahead" hearing actually accomplished
The three real functions of Congressional hearings on media mergers
Why there's no bipartisan consensus on streaming antitrust enforcement
How political pressure shapes DOJ and FTC regulatory priorities
What this means for Netflix-WBD deal timing and future streaming consolidation

Key takeaway: Congressional hearings are theater, not law. But the theater shapes what regulators prioritize—and right now, streaming is center stage.

The Option is a daily podcast covering Hollywood business news, media regulation, streaming antitrust, and entertainment industry analysis. New episodes weekdays at 6 AM PT.

Keywords: streaming antitrust, Netflix WBD antitrust, House Judiciary Committee, media regulation, DOJ entertainment, FTC streaming, Congress media merger, Hollywood antitrust 2026

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