Paramount Skydance blasts Netflix amid growing opposition to Warner Bros. deal

Paramount Skydance, which is pursuing an acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, has lashed out at Netflix — its former rival bidder — as opposition to the deal continues to mount.

Politico reported Tuesday that Paramount Skydance recently sent a letter to the Justice Department sharply criticizing Netflix.

In the letter, Paramount Skydance Chief Legal Officer Makan Delrahim said Netflix had worked to "poison" regulators and stakeholders against the Warner Bros. deal, adding that "this panic-level response shows how seriously Netflix views Paramount as a competitor."

The accusations came amid intensifying opposition to the proposed Warner Bros. acquisition.

Earlier, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a major US freight labor union, raised concerns with the Justice Department, arguing the deal poses a direct threat to film and television workers nationwide. The union counts more than 15,000 film-sector truck drivers among its members.

Paramount Skydance contended that Netflix had persuaded the Teamsters to oppose the deal by pointing to Disney's acquisition of Fox as a precedent, suggesting the Warner Bros. transaction could similarly harm labor.

Netflix shrugged off the accusations as absurd. "We walked away from this deal months ago and are focused on our own business," a Netflix spokesperson said.

Paramount made its offer to acquire Warner Bros. in February at $31 per share, valuing the deal at $111 billion (approximately 169 trillion won). It ultimately secured the agreement with Warner Bros. after edging out Netflix, which had already signed a deal of its own.