Disney

THE Muppet Show is making a 50th birthday comeback — with pop superstar Sabrina Carpenter joining as a special guest. 

Disney has revealed Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and the gang are back for a one-off special, more than four decades after the curtain came down on the beloved original series.

The show will stream on Disney+ from February 4, promising fans “music, comedy and a whole lot of chaos” from the original Muppet Theatre.

In a teaser clip, Kermit’s green arm can be seen turning on the lights of an old studio, before placing down a mug with his name on it.

The show originally ran from 1976 to 1981, with a generation of kids singing along to the theme tune: “It’s time to play the music. It’s time to light the lights.”

The series became so popular that big name stars clamoured to be guests, including Sir Elton John, Johnny Cash, Diana Ross, John Cleese and Debbie Harry.

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NIGHTY TIGHTS

Sabrina Carpenter shows off her legs in sweatshirt & tights in New York City

‘SHORT N’ SWEET

White House slams Sabrina Carpenter for defending ‘sick monsters’

It was broadcast in more than 100 countries and in 1978 Time magazine called the show “the most popular television entertainment now being produced on Earth”.

The series won a host of awards, including Emmy, Grammy and Bafta gongs.

Despite the lights going out on the main series, the Muppets Tonight talk show ran from 1996 to 1998.

Other short-lived TV projects followed, including a mockumentary series in 2015, the Muppets Now short form series in 2020 and The Muppets Mayhem musical comedy series in 2023.

A host of movies included The Great Muppet Caper in 1981 and The Muppet Christmas Carol in 1992.

The last film, Muppets Most Wanted, in 2014, starred British comedian Ricky Gervais.

Muppets creator Jim Henson died in 1990 and Disney bought the rights in 2004.

Sabrina, who has had four UK No1 singles and two UK No1 albums, is an executive producer for the new show, as is Canadian comedian and actor Seth Rogen, who was in the 2020 series.

Walt Disney Co. is expanding its presence in the Middle East, inking a deal with Saudi media conglomerate MBC Group and UAE firm Anghami to form a streaming bundle.

The bundle will allow customers in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE to access a trio of streaming services — Disney+; MBC Group’s Shahid, which carries Arabic originals, live sports and events; and Anghami’s OSN+, which carries Arabic productions as well as Hollywood content.

The trio bundle costs AED89.99 per month, which is the price of two of the streaming services.

“This deal reflects a shared ambition between Disney+, Shahid and the MBC Group to shape the future of entertainment in the Middle East, a region that is seeing dynamic growth in the sector,” Karl Holmes, senior vice president and general manager of Disney+ EMEA, said in a statement.

Disney has already indicated it plans to grow in the Middle East.

Earlier this year, the company announced it would be building a new theme park in Abu Dhabi in partnership with local firm Miral, which would provide the capital, construction resources and operational oversight. Under the terms of the agreement, Disney would oversee the parks’ design, license its intellectual property and provide “operational expertise,” as well as collect a royalty.

Disney executives said at the time that the decision to build in the Middle East was a way to reach new audiences who were too far from the company’s current hubs in the U.S., Europe and Asia.

Dec. 17 (UPI) — Chairman Brendan Carr said the Federal Communications Commission isn’t independent from the Trump administration in testimony Wednesday before Congress, during which the word “independent” was removed from the agency’s mission statement online.

Carr’s comment came as members on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee questioned him on who the FCC answers to in the wake of a controversy that led to the brief suspension of Jimmy Kimmel‘s late-night talk show on ABC.

The Walt Disney Co. suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! from Sept. 17 through Sept. 22 in response to comments he made about the assassination of right-wing activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.

The controversy stemmed from Kimmel suggesting the alleged gunman who killed Kirk was a pro-Trump Republican.

The Make America Great Again “gang [is] desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” he said in his monologue.

There was some discussion in the early days after the shooting as to the alleged shooter’s political leanings — he came from a largely right-wing family but had made some more left-leaning comments in recent months.

Just before the suspension, Carr described Kimmel’s comments as “truly sick” and threatened action against the network. At the time, Nester Media Group, which owns multiple ABC affiliates, was awaiting approval from the FCC for its planned merger with Tegna, prompting some to view Kimmel’s suspension as political.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said at the time. “These companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

Carr denied that Kimmel’s suspension had anything to do with government censorship and instead blamed it on ratings.

Democrats on the committee questioned Wednesday if Carr was truly acting independently or if he was beholden to Trump’s politics, The Hill reported.

Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., asked, “Yes or no, is the FCC an independent agency?

“On your website, it just simply says, man, the FCC is independent. This isn’t a trick question.”

“Congress did not include for-cause removal in the Communications Act,” Carr said. “So, formally speaking, the FCC is not independent.”

During testimony, the FCC’s website was updated to change the wording of its mission statement, eliminating the word “independent.” When asked about the removal, an FCC spokesperson cited the change in the administration 11 months ago.

“With the change in administration earlier this year, the FCC’s website and materials required updating. That work continues to ensure that they reflect the positions of the agency’s new leadership,” the spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC.

Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., accused Carr of being the chairman of the “Federal Censorship Committee,” saying he made “mafia threats” toward station owners in the wake of Kimmel’s comments about Kirk.

“And these broadcasters, they feel that censorship,” Markey said.

Carr said the broadcasters involved issued statements saying they made their decisions to suspend Kimmel independently of what he said about Kimmel.

“If broadcasters understand, perhaps for the first time in years, that they’re going to be held accountable to the public interest, to the broadcast hoax rule, to the news distortion policy, I think that’s a good thing,” Carr said, according to ABC News.

FASHIONISTA Gwen Stefani has shown her fans how to slay Christmas style. 

Gwen, 56, performed in front of a Disneyland castle in a sneak peek of her Christmas Day TV special in a tiny dress and fur.

She was dressed in head-to-toe winter white, including a cropped fur jacket and sky-high platform boots. 

The chic outfit also included a tiny tiered white skirt which exposed itty bitty lace shorts underneath. 

In the post, the crooner told fans to “tune in Christmas morning,” for the Sleeping Beauty’s Castle for Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade.

Fans expressed their excitement for the Christmas concert in the comments on Instagram. 

SNOW MY!

Gwen Stefani, 56, looks half her age as she shows off long legs in music video

short shrift

Gwen Stefani, 56, wears TINY dress at NYC tree lighting shocking fans

“I absolutely can’t wait to watch your performance, Gwen! Also you look like a gorgeous Disney princess,” one commenter wrote. 

“Yay, cannot wait for your performance of my all-time favorite version of “White Christmas!” another fan commented. 

A third fan stated, “You are stunning. How don’t you age!?”

The concert, which will play on ABC, Disney+, and Hulu, is slated for performances by Coco Jones, Bebe Rexha, and Nicole Scherzinger. 

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The parade will be hosted by Dancing with the Stars alum Alfonso Ribeiro and Ginnifer Goodwin, with Maia Kealoha serving as parade correspondent. 

HAPPY MARRIAGE?

Gwen fans recently suspected relationship challenges with her 49-year-old husband, Blake Shelton.

Their marriage was called into question ever since Blake released a cryptic breakup song entitled Hang On earlier this year.

Rumors ran rampant when they didn’t attend the CMA Awards in 2025, even though Blake received a nomination.

Days later, Gwen posted a photo on her Instagram Story where she received a sweet kiss from Blake – indicating all was well.

A source close to the couple told The U.S. Sun: “They’ve gone through real challenges, nothing manufactured.”  

“There were times when the tension was high enough that people close to them quietly wondered if the relationship could take the strain.

But the source insisted that Gwen and Blake are committed to making their marriage work: “They showed up for each other instead of checking out.”

A group of entertainment industry workers launched a new coalition that aims to advocate for the rights of creators amid the growing AI industry.

The group, called Creators Coalition on AI, was founded by 18 people, including writer-director Daniel Kwan, actors Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Natasha Lyonne and producer Janet Yang, former president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Gordon-Levitt said the group is not limited to Hollywood luminaries and is open to all creators and the skilled workers around them, including podcasters, digital content creators and newsletter writers.

“We’re all frankly facing the same threat, not from generative AI as a technology, but from the unethical business practices a lot of the big AI companies are guilty of,” he said in a video posted on X on Tuesday. “The idea is that through public pressure, through collective action, through potentially litigation and eventually legislation, creators actually have a lot of power if we come together.

The coalition’s formation comes at a time when Hollywood has been grappling with the fast growth of artificial intelligence tools. Many artists have raised concerns about tools that have used their likenesses or work without their permission or compensation.

The tech industry has said that it should be able to train its AI models with content available online under the “fair use” doctrine, which allows for the limited reproduction of material without permission from the copyright holder.

Some studios have partnered with AI companies to use the tools in areas including marketing and visual effects. Last week, Walt Disney Co. signed a licensing deal with San Francisco-based ChatGPT maker OpenAI for its popular Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse and Yoda to be used in the startup’s text to video tool Sora.

Kwan told The Hollywood Reporter that when Disney and OpenAI’s deal was announced many people felt “completely blindsided.”

“On one hand, you can say that this is just a licensing deal for the characters and that’s not a big deal, and it won’t completely change the way our industry works,” Kwan told THR. “But for a lot of people, it symbolically shows a willingness to work with companies that have not been able to resolve or reconcile the problems.”

There has also been lawsuits filed against some AI companies. Earlier this year, Disney, Universal and Warner Bros. Discovery sued AI business Midjourney accusing it of copyright infringement.

The Creators Coalition on AI said it plans to convene an AI advisory committee “to establish shared standards, definitions, and best practices as well as ethical and artistic protections for if and when AI is used.” Some of the principles the group lists on its website include the importance of transparency, consent, control and compensation in the use of AI tools, sensitivity to potential job losses, guardrails against misuse and deepfakes and safeguarding humanity in the creative process.

“This is not a full rejection of AI,” the group said on its website. “The technology is here. This is a commitment to responsible, human-centered innovation.”

“This is not a dividing line between the tech industry and the entertainment industry, nor a line between labor and corporations,” the group said . “Instead, we are drawing a line between those who want to do this fast, and those who want to do this right.”

The idea for the coalition was sparked by Kwan, who produced a documentary about AI, which comes out next year, Gordon-Levitt said in his video. He said work on the group began in the middle of this year. Already the collective has many signatories, including actors Natalie Portman, Greta Lee, Kirsten Dunst and Orlando Bloom.

BEING spat on by a walrus, ­shaking my backside with a chipmunk and having Peter Pan declare me an “honorary Lost Boy” isn’t usually how I spend my days.

But all of it happened to me, and more, when I visited Walt Disney World in ­Florida for the first time.

Prior to this, I’d only made it to Disneyland Paris when I was a child, despite a lot of begging to my parents.

But I’m happy to report it was worth the wait.

And new attractions are being added to the park continuously, so even if you have been before, no two visits are the same.

Last month saw the launch of 4D animated show Zootopia: Better Zoogether!, just weeks before Zootopia 2 started its run at cinemas.

WAIL OF A TIME

I drove Irish Route 66 with deserted golden beaches and pirate-like islands

TEMPTED?

Tiny ‘Bali of Europe’ town with stunning beaches, €3 cocktails and £20 flights

Based in the Tree Of Life Theatre — under the roots of the 145ft tree at the centre of Animal Kingdom — the ­ten-minute show features wind, water and sudden seat move­ments as you watch the 3D short film.

Created by the same animators behind the popular 2016 movie Zootopia, it features beloved characters Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, as well as new critters from the sequel.

Explaining the ride, Executive Creative Director of Walt Disney Imagineering, Chris Beatty, told me: “At its core, the show is Animal Kingdom based. This park is so unique, it’s very clear on what it’s trying to say and be.

“Nature and the interconnectedness of all things. That’s what it’s all about. Together we are stronger.”

But the magic is far more than this new show. It was like time had never passed since my first visit to Disney’s Paris resort, as I fully allowed my inner-child to take hold.

Mickey-shaped waffles for breakfast? Tick. Mickey-shaped ice cream sandwich? Tick. Coming back to your room to find the belongings you discarded haphazardly in a rush laid out neatly in the shape of Mickey? Tick.

Set across four theme parks — Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom — it’s impossible to underplay how vast Walt Disney World is.

While Disney is, at its heart, a theme park packed with rides for thrill-seekers of all ages, for me the magic is, and will always be, found in the characters.

As we wandered through Frontierland — Magic Kingdom’s Wild West-themed area — we bumped into Toy Story’s Jessie, who was running about in between the buildings and playfully engaging in hide and seek with some children — never once breaking character mode.

Mary Poppins and chimney sweep Bert were also dancing down Main Street, USA, as families checked out the shops and snacked on Mickey-shaped sweet treats.

During my family visits to Paris as a child, I was obsessed with collecting autographs from each character.

And prior to my trip to Florida, I feared this wholesome trend might have fallen by the wayside in favour of selfies on phones. But I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Kids still line up, pen and autograph book in hand, to meet their idols in an age-old Disney tradition.

In fact, as we enjoyed a character ­dining experience at Magic Kingdom’s Crystal Palace with Winnie the Pooh and friends, I didn’t see a single child ask for a selfie.

Instead, they gazed longingly at their cartoon friends as they held out their arms for a hug or an autograph book to sign.

I have zero shame in admitting that I queued up to meet Mickey Mouse at the Town Square Theater at the entrance to the Magic Kingdom, as well as patiently waiting in line to recreate a childhood image of me hugging Pluto, 25 years later.

Then, over in the Animal Kingdom theme park, I spotted Pocahontas casually posing for photos with excited fans, and Donald Duck hosting a meet and greet with his own admirers.

This particular park is also home to arguably one of the best rides at Disney — Avatar Flight of Passage.

With standard queue times of around an hour, the attraction takes immersive rides to a new level.

Its seriously intense drops and tricks make it feel like you are flying on the back of a native mountain banshee (a dragon-esque creature) across the breathtaking landscape of Pandora, from the James Cameron-directed box office blockbusters.

While I loved the first film, released in 2009, I can’t say I’m a huge Avatar fan, having seen the second film, 2022’s The Way Of Water, only once.

But I challenge anyone not to be blown away by the ride and want to have a go on it again — whether they have seen the movies or not.

In fact, planning your rides and navigating the parks is simple thanks to the very useful Disney app.

Most jaw-dropping

It gives you up-to-date queue times for the main rides, a live map of your location and directions on how to get to your next attraction, as well as wait times for character interactions.

It was through the app that I was able to orchestrate a meet with the main mouse himself, Mickey, with just a 15-minute wait time.

Once inside, I was pleasantly surprised to discover the staff — or cast members, as Disney calls them — are more than happy to record videos or take pictures on your phone, despite the official shots also being available.

And for those worried about being slapped with a huge phone data bill like me, fear not.

All the Disney parks are equipped with free wifi, including on the complimentary shuttle buses between hotels and parks.

If you were in any doubt that Disney doesn’t do things by halves, check out one of the many nightly firework shows.

Surprisingly, the one at Epcot was the most jaw-dropping of my trip — clearly the area feels it has to go the extra mile as, unlike Magic Kingdom, it doesn’t have the Cinderella Castle to attract ­visitors.

Its extravaganza, called Luminous: The Symphony Of Us, boasts fireworks, music, lasers and dancing fountains.

A top tip I discovered is that if you’ve already seen the Magic Kingdom fireworks and find yourself in the park at 9pm, ride queues fall dramatically.

I spotted Pirates Of The Caribbean and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure drop from a usual wait time of 50-plus minutes to just five minutes — as did meeting Mickey Mouse at the Town Hall.

At Hollywood Studios, the Fantasmic Show, set on a lake at the top of Hollywood Boulevard and featuring characters and fireworks, was the ideal ending to my Disney adventure.

Walt Disney once said: “We are not trying to entertain the critics. I’ll take my chance with the public.”

But consider this critic highly entertained.

Taylor Swift, The End of An Era – Disney+

★★★★★

“I WANTED to exceed fans’ expectations with this tour,” Taylor Swift says during the opening episode of her The End of An Era six-part documentary series.

It’s not even up for debate that she did just that with the global trek, but I’m happy to report she also achieves this with her new Disney+ series.

Disclaimer, I am a huge Swiftie, but before the first two episodes dropped I did have my concerns.

I feared the documentary would just be the same old footage of Taylor picking her outfits that we’ve now all seen a thousand times and fluffy backstories about her life on the road.

Of course, these types of moments are in there, but episode one alone pulls back the curtain on the most talked about tour of all time in ways other behind the scenes specials simply don’t.

The 43-minute long episode focuses on the heinous Southport attack, as well as the foiled terror plot at Taylor’s Vienna gigs, and lifts the lid on what went on behind the scenes.

TAYLOR’S TEARS

Taylor Swift breaks down as she opens up on Southport attack for first time

‘WHO IS THAT?!’

50 Cent and Jason Momoa look totally unrecognizable after drastic makeovers

For the first time we see how much the trauma rocked Taylor, with her breaking down in tears on multiple occasions.

Rather than feeling staged or performative, it shows the true artist behind the phenomenon and proves she is just as human as the rest of us.

During a chat with pal Ed Sheeran she admits she feels almost dehumanised by fame.

In another scene she’s filmed trying to calm herself down with an audio book of 2024 thriller The God of The Woods.

In the weeks that followed the incidents in Southport and Vienna, Taylor found herself wrecked with anxiety to the point she was physically shaking.

Not that Taylor is moaning about her life – in fact at one point she openly accepts her reality isn’t normal.

Though as she sings on The Life of A Showgirl track Elizabeth Taylor, “Oftentimes it doesn’t feel so glamorous to be me”.

People were quick to join an online pile-on against Taylor over summer ’24 after she kept silent following the incident in Southport.

But those behind the wrath of masked crusaders may be feeling more than a little silly after the doc.

Episode 1 reveals rather than turning a blind eye behind and pulling up her drawbridge, away from the spotlight Taylor was determined to make a difference.

Before each of the five remaining Wembley shows Taylor met with the families of those affected by the horrific incident.

And while I’ve obviously not spoken to any of those families in question, I would be willing to bet my flat that her decision to personally meet them has made a positive difference, far beyond that she gives herself credit for.

And it would be worth far more than a short Instagram story statement ever could.

In private Taylor was clearly struggling with the run of incidents, but on stage she never faltered.

While never brushing them under the carpet ignoring them, she was determined not to let events overshadow or dampen the magic she had created for the 10 million ticket holders on the 149 date trek.

I was lucky enough to attend three of the gigs in the capital – two of which took place after Vienna and Southport.

Both with those shows – and indeed with the new docuseries – the magic and escapism of Taylor’s world is very much alive and well.

A feat I doubt, even in decades to come, will ever change.

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour ran from 2023 to 2024 and became a record breaking sensation

Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated new documentary, The End of an Era has finally landed on Disney Plus.

The six episode series, which will see two episodes released every week, gives an intimate look on the huge phenomenon that is the Eras Tour as it made headlines and excited fans around the world.

Disney teases: “In addition, the series features Gracie Abrams, Sabrina Carpenter, Travis Kelce, Ed Sheeran, and Florence Welch, along with her band, dancers, crew, and family members – offering never-before-seen insight into what it took to create a phenomenon.”

As well as the documentary, The Final Show also debuts today (December 12) which is the full concert film from the final show in Vancouver, featuring for the first ever time the entire set of The Tortured Poets Department.

As fans delve into the latest instalments of the brand new documentary, we have taken a look at some of the things that made the Eras Tour so huge.

Over 100 shows and 400 hours performed

The Eras tour ran from 2023 to 2024 meaning that Taylor and her crew performed a record breaking 149 shows.

Originally, the Eras Tour was announced back in 2022 with significantly less dates, but with such high demand, she added more to the diary and it quickly became a huge phenomenon.

The tour first kicked off in Arizona in March 2023 and came to an end in December 2024. In total, it is said the star spent over 480 hours on stage, which is the equivalent to just under three weeks.

As each show varied in length and was dependant on an array of things like the weather, each night was around three hours, making it a huge ambition that was successfully carried out.

According to reports, with 44 songs on her setlist, eventually increasing to 46 after her new album was released in 2024, Taylor also performed songs not on her setlist as part of a special acoustic performance.

The Eras Tour 100th show

Taylor’s 100th show was actually performed here in the UK, in Liverpool. Taking to Instagram, the star said: “So many dreamy memories from Liverpool!! We played our 100th show on The Eras Tour (which feels truly deranged to say because this show feels new to me every time we play it).”

She continued to thank everyone involved, adding the crowds were “expressive, generous and endlessly fun.”

What made the Eras Tour so popular?

The Eras Tour was a huge moment in Taylor’s career, celebrating all of the music through the decades, every era. Taylor took her music everywhere across the world, visiting over 20 countries.

It was a record breaking tour, bringing in over $2billion in sales making it the highest earning concert run. Taylor Swift Touring also confirmed over 10 billion people attended during the course of the tour.

And when it came to breaking records, reports suggest another record was broken when Ticketmaster sold the most tickets sold by an artist in a single day – many Swifties can remember the painstaking wait they endured for tickets.

There are many reasons the tour became a huge phenomenon, being timed post pandemic, but the main reason being it brought together fans of all ages, celebrating her entire career, being described as a huge cultural event.

Earthquake?

You may have seen reports at the time that Taylor Swift concerts generated seismic activity. In 2023 in Seattle, a seismologist said activity was recorded equivalent to a 2.3 magnitude earthquake.

Also in Edinburgh in 2024, reports suggest earthquake readings were again detected.

Friendship bracelets

Taylor Swift friendship bracelets are colourful, beaded bracelets that were made by fans for the Eras Tour, often traded in. Inspired by the song You’re On Your Own Kid, some fans ended up wearing dozens on their wrists, even hoping to give them to Taylor and her mum.

Food bank donations

While on tour, Taylor Swift donated to local food banks and charities when she visited a place.

According to ITV, the singer made a “generous donation” to around 1,400 food banks and community organisations in Edinburgh, Liverpool, Cardiff, and London.

Taylor Swift’s the End of an Era documentary is now available to stream on Disney Plus.

Walt Disney Co. agreed to invest $1 billion in OpenAI and license iconic characters like Mickey Mouse and Cinderella to Sora, OpenAI’s short-form, artificial intelligence video platform.

As part of the three-year licensing pact, Sora will be able to generate short, user-prompted social videos that can be viewed and shared by fans, drawing from a library of more than 200 animated and creature characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars, according to a statement from Disney on Thursday. The deal doesn’t cover any talent likenesses or voices.

At the same time, Disney will become a major customer of OpenAI, using its tools to build new products and experiences and deploying ChatGPT for its employees.

“The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works,” Disney Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger said in the statement.

Hollywood studios have been reluctant to get into business with an AI company, wary of how it might use their data and of angering the labor unions with which they work every day. But OpenAI has been talking to the industry’s largest studios, including Disney, Comcast Corp.’s Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. Discovery Inc., about the creative and commercial potential of Sora, Bloomberg News has previously reported.

The AI developer unveiled a new version of Sora in September as a standalone social app, available by invitation. As with the original Sora, released last December, users can generate short clips in response to text prompts, but the new app allows people to see videos created by others. Beyond that, users can create a realistic-looking AI avatar and voice of themselves, which can be inserted into videos made with the app by the user or their friends, with the avatar owner’s permission.

Schuetz writes for Bloomberg.

It was just last Friday that Netflix announced a blockbuster $72-billion deal to acquire Warner Bros. film and television studios, HBO and HBO Max — a tie-up that could fundamentally change Hollywood.

Yet on Monday, the stakes got even higher, as Paramount swooped in with a $78-billion hostile takeover bid it plans to take directly to Warner Bros. Discovery’s shareholders.

Paramount Chief Executive David Ellison called the Netflix deal an “inferior proposal,” saying in a statement that it “exposes shareholders to a mix of cash and stock, an uncertain future trading value of the Global Networks linear cable business and a challenging regulatory approval process.”

It all sets the stage for a long and potentially bruising fight. And the Netflix deal would have to overcome some significant regulatory hurdles, experts told me.

“This is a deal that never should have left the boardroom,” said David Balto, an antitrust attorney and a former policy director at the Federal Trade Commission during the Clinton administration. “The competitive concerns are profound. This is going to face a lot of opposition at the Justice Department.”

For one, antitrust regulators are expected to scrutinize the market share that would be controlled by a combined Netflix and HBO Max.

Netflix outlasted its rivals in the so-called streaming wars to become the dominant platform in a crowded space. That position has led to concern that gobbling up HBO Max would give Netflix outsized power in the streaming space — potentially more than 30% — which would cross a threshold under antitrust law, according to a recent letter from Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) to Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi and Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson.

Netflix executives have argued that analysis of its market share should include YouTube.

In a UBS investor conference Monday, Netflix Co-Chief Executive Greg Peters pointed to Nielsen data, which show Netflix’s shares of U.S. TV viewing is still behind YouTube‘s. Netflix represents just 8% of U.S. TV viewing in October, behind YouTube’s 12.9%.

If Netflix were to combine with Warner Bros. Discovery’s 1.3% share of U.S. TV viewing, its 9.2% would still be less than that of YouTube. (Other Nielsen data show that Warner Bros. Discovery channels have greater viewership, but Netflix is only interested in one channel, HBO).

“We think there’s a strong fundamental case here for why regulators should approve this deal,” Peters said. (The deal’s overall value is $82.7 billion due to the absorption of debt)

But who would regulators consider a competitor to Netflix? Is it YouTube, with its emphasis on shorter-form content? Or would the main competitors be other streaming services with films and series, like Disney+, Paramount+ and Peacock?

“The analytical issue there is, how do you define the market?” said George Hay, a professor of law at Cornell University and former director of economics in the Justice Department’s antitrust division. “What is their combined market share, what do they compete in and what are the alternatives available to consumers?”

The consumer angle would also invite involvement from the Federal Trade Commission. With a shrinking marketplace, the agency would likely investigate whether this could increase streaming prices for customers.

“What keeps Netflix honest is knowing there’s an HBO Max that’s right over its shoulder,” Balto said. “But once they get rid of that, they can lead the easy life, and the need to cut prices or provide better services or bid aggressively for film content — all of that will be diminished.”

Meanwhile, Hollywood unions and the Cinema United trade group have also raised concerns that a Netflix ownership of Warner Bros. would lead to fewer films being released in theaters, due to the company’s longstanding resistance to traditional movie releases. Netflix has said it would honor Warner Bros.’ theatrical release commitments and that future films without those existing deals will also go to theaters.

Beyond the U.S. concerns, Netflix would also need the blessing of regulators across the globe, and could be challenged by even state attorneys general who might have a significant number of entertainment workers in their areas who would question the effect on industry jobs.

Then, there’s the politics of it all.

President Trump himself has said he “would be involved” in his administration’s decision to bless any deal and that the combined market share of Netflix and Warner Bros. “could be a problem.”

As my colleagues Meg James and Stacy Perman have reported, Trump has openly favored Paramount’s bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, though word of Paramount backer Larry Ellison’s close ties with Trump dampened enthusiasm for the bid in Hollywood. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is now also one of the investors participating in the renewed Paramount bid.

Despite this involvement, the Trump administration may not have the final say on the deal, just as in the case of the AT&T deal for Time Warner.

For his part, Netflix Co-Chief Executive Ted Sarandos has also been trying to make his own case to Trump and ventured to the White House last month, Bloomberg reported.

“It’s a case in which the political issues are going to play a role,” Hay said. “They’re so front and center, and Trump has shown an inclination to get involved.”

About the only thing that’s clear is that it’s not going to be a quick process.

“This entire matter is not going to get resolved in a hurry,” said Corey Martin, managing partner at Granderson Des Rochers. “The resolution of this matter is very likely to take place over months and potentially years, and not days and weeks.”

Stuff We Wrote

Film shoots

Number of the week

Universal Pictures and Blumhouse-Atomic Monster’s horror sequel “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” ruled the domestic box office this weekend with a $63 million haul in the U.S. and Canada. While it doesn’t surpass the first movie’s $80 million opening weekend in 2023, it’s a massive boost for theaters, which have seen a string of slower months.

Menacing animatronic figures weren’t the only thing that brought moviegoers to theaters this weekend. Disney’s animated “Zootopia 2” brought in about $43 million domestically in its second outing. Globally, the sequel has now brought in a total of $915 million.

The strong recent showings for films such as “Zootopia 2” and “Wicked: For Good” have helped push 2025’s year-to-date domestic box office total to a little over $8 billion, up just barely — 0.8%, in fact — compared with last year.

Finally …

My colleague, Jeanette Marantos, wrote about the 105th anniversary of Altadena’s Christmas Tree Lane lighting ceremony and festival this past weekend, a bittersweet memorial for the community after a year of heartbreak.