The Town with Matthew Belloni Netflix in the Senate Hot Seat, and Disney’s Demographic Problem
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Feb 11, 2026 
Lucas Shaw, senior Bloomberg reporter covering media and entertainment, gives on-the-ground takes from the Senate antitrust hearing over Netflix’s Warner Bros bid. They debate theatrical windows, monopsony worries, regulatory fixes, and whether Paramount can counter. Then a sharp look at Disney under Josh D’Amaro: parks, franchise fatigue, streaming struggles, and the risk of losing young families.
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Hearing Was Grandstanding With Real Questions
- The Senate hearing on Netflix-Warner was mostly culture-war grandstanding with some valid antitrust questions.
- The process revealed real regulatory scrutiny beyond performative politics.
Monopsony Concerns Could Be Decisive
- Senators pressed monopsony concerns about consolidation shrinking opportunities for talent.
- Lucas Shaw and Matt Belloni said that worry resonates bipartisanly and could matter in review.
Lock In Concrete Theatrical Terms
- Netflix should formalize theatrical commitments beyond PR to placate regulators and talent.
- Concrete terms like windows, reporting, and release counts will matter more than vague promises.
