Warner Bros. Bids Threaten Movie Theater Industry, EU Warned

Photographer: Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg

Movie theaters warned European Union merger watchdogs that a takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. by either Netflix Inc. or Paramount Skydance Corp. threatens to harm their industry.

A group representing some of the biggest theaters including Odeon’s parent AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc., Kinepolis Group NV, and Cineworld Group Plc told EU officials in a closed-door-meeting in Brussels that the takeover bids could stymie the release of blockbuster movies.