Conservatives don’t reflexively oppose corporate mergers. We believe in free markets, in the power of competition, and in the freedom of businesses to grow when they win on merit.

But we also believe in limits, especially when a single company seeks to consolidate cultural and economic power in ways that threaten the marketplace itself. This is exactly what the proposed Netflix–Warner Bros. merger does.

Let’s first dispense with K Street’s talking points. This deal isn’t about “unlocking synergies,” “driving innovation,” or “competing globally.”

It’s about one company—Netflix—attempting to cement itself as the dominant, unchallengeable gatekeeper of American entertainment and becoming more of a monopoly.

If conservatives learned anything from the last 20 years of tech consolidation, it’s that letting one firm control the channels of communication, culture, and distribution is a recipe for ideological capture, higher prices, and less consumer choice.

Netflix’s growth strategy has always been simple: to get big fast, build a global moat and use scale to squeeze out smaller rivals. It was a winning formula when streaming was young and alternatives were limited, but the market has matured.

Consumers have more choices than ever: Disney , Peacock, Paramount , Amazon Prime Video, and local broadcasters offering digital services. That’s competition doing what it’s supposed to........

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