US President Donald Trump has signalled that Netflix’s proposed $83bn (£62bn) takeover of Warner Bros Discovery could face stiff scrutiny on competition grounds, saying the scale of the combined business “could be a problem”.

Speaking to reporters on the red carpet at the Kennedy Centre Honours in Washington DC on Sunday, Trump confirmed he intends to take a direct role in determining whether the federal government should approve the deal. “There’s no question about it,” he said when asked whether the merger might raise concerns, adding that he would be personally involved in the review.

Netflix emerged as the frontrunner on Friday after beating bids from Paramount–Skydance and Comcast in the high-profile auction for the century-old studio. If cleared, the acquisition would unite Netflix

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