Consumer Opposition
U.S. federal antitrust laws allow consumers to sue over mergers and acquisitions. On December 8, 2025, an HBO Max subscriber, Michelle Fendelander, filed a class-action lawsuit against Netflix claiming that the proposed Netflix/Warner Bros. acquisition would reduce competition in the U.S. video-on-demand market. In the complaint, Fendelander, a resident of Las Vegas and subscriber to WBD’s HBO Max, claims she and other consumers “will bear the brunt of this decreased competition, paying increased prices and receiving degraded and diminished services for their money.” Fendelander v. Netflix, Inc., No. 5:25-cv-10521 (N.D. Cal.)
The complaint also says that if WBD is removed as an