Mumbai: The Multiplex Association of India (MAI) on Saturday voiced strong concerns over Netflix’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, warning that the move could severely impact India’s theatrical ecosystem. In a detailed statement, MAI said the takeover poses “direct competition and an economic threat” to the country’s cinemas and the wider film economy.
Netflix confirmed on Friday that it had reached a USD 72 billion cash-and-stock agreement to acquire Warner Bros Discovery’s studio and streaming businesses. The deal includes Warner’s television and motion picture divisions, HBO Max streaming services, and DC Studios, and is expected to close after Warner separates Discovery Global into a new publicly listed company by the third quarter of 2026.
MAI president Kamal Gianchandani said India’s theatrical market depends on cultural variety, scale, and consumer choice. He cautioned that Netflix’s “restrictive approach” to theatrical releases shows a long-standing preference for streaming-first strategies. If the acquisition goes through, he said, it could result in reduced high-quality content for cinemas and shorter—or even nonexistent—theatrical windows.
Gianchandani noted that Warner Bros has been a trusted and consistent partner for Indian cinemas, contributing major global and local titles to release calendars for years. Losing that pipeline, he said, would limit consumer choice, reduce revenues, and destabilize the larger ecosystem of film production, distribution, and exhibition in India. He stressed that a merger of this scale “warrants careful scrutiny.”
MAI said it will continue raising the issue with regulatory authorities in India and abroad. The association highlighted that cinemas in India are not only entertainment spaces but also cultural centres and major economic engines, supporting millions of livelihoods across production, distribution, exhibition, food and beverages, and other allied services.
MAI, founded in 2002 under FICCI, represents more than 11 cinema chains operating over 550 multiplexes and roughly 3,000 screens across the country.
