CNBC’s Deirdre Bosa joins ‘Money Movers’ to report on the latest developments in Netflix and Paramount's bid to win over Warner Bros. Discovery.

Netflix's co-CEOs have expressed strong confidence that their proposed merger with Warner Bros. Discovery will be approved, highlighting YouTube's dominant position in the streaming market as a central argument. They argue that even after the merger, the combined company's share of U.S. TV viewing hours would remain behind YouTube and a potential Paramount-WBD combination.

Regulators are expected to focus on premium scripted content, where Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery are major players, but Netflix contends that actual viewing behavior, as measured by Nielsen, shows YouTube as the largest distributor. The debate underscores broader questions about how regulators define competition in the evolving streaming landscape.

Netflix cites YouTube dominance to justify Warner Bros. Discovery deal

The co-CEOs of Netflix telling investors yesterday they're quote super confident the deal with Warner Brothers Discovery will close, citing market share against streamers as a key reason. Our Drew DeVos is digging into that for today's tech check. This is a little complex but important to understand, Dee. It is. So you're right, Carl. Regulators, they're going to fixate on the giant that Netflix and Warner Brothers would create. But the real outlier is YouTube. And it may actually be Netflix's best shot at getting a deal through. Regulators, they work off of a narrower definition of the market, premium scripted content. That's movies, series, studios, sports rights. And under that framework, Netflix and WBD, they look like two of the biggest players merging into one. Now, YouTube doesn't show up in that analysis because it's user-generated video. That's considered a different product category. But measured by Nielsen, YouTube is the single biggest TV distributor in the country. And that gap between regulatory definition and actual viewing behavior, that's exactly what Netflix is trying to exploit here. Here's the co-CEO, Greg Peters, at the UBS conference yesterday on what happens to the market if they were to get HBO. We go from 8% of view hours today in the United States to 9%. So we're still behind YouTube at 13%. And potentially worth noting that we would be behind what would be if Paramount combined with WBD, them at 14%. So we think that there's a really strong fundamentals-based case here for why regulators should approve this deal. So that's the crux of the Netflix argument. If the biggest distributor in TV is already YouTube, then combining with WBD, it doesn't create dominance. It actually creates a counterweight. Regulators, though, they focus on product substitution and competitive constraints. They care about whether Netflix and Warner Brothers control the same kind of content. And this all really points back at YouTube, guys, itself. This is a platform that is still underestimated in the whole TV streaming discussion. It sits inside an alphabet, but some argue that it gets lost there and it could be worth more than half a trillion dollars. Some say a trillion dollars as a standalone company. I mean, it really does depend on how the regulators perceive the market. Because I also remember Netflix has famously said their biggest competition is sleep. And that's not going to be factored in exactly on antitrust concerns. I think they've also cited in that shareholder letter video games and all sorts of things that occupy our attention. When you look at, I thought about that quote as well, Sarah, the whole sleep argument. And that was sort of a different era for short term video. Right. And there's some analysts that are arguing that maybe this is a defensive move by Netflix trying to, you know, get more content under its umbrella because it's facing this threat from YouTube and TikTok and other short term short form videos. Right. Back when it said sleep, I don't think it was as built up. So that is very important part of the equation. And that is obviously what YouTube does so well. But the implication is that they don't have any competitors and that might come back to bite them. Yep. I mean, then they could talk about TikTok and reels. Right. Just sort of how Instagram has used that argument in the past. It'll be interesting. Thank you, Deirdre. Not even up to the antitrust because still figuring out what's happening with these bids.

In Australia, millions of kids' social media profiles are going dark, as the country's new social media ban takes effect for anyone under 16. Jo Ling Kent reports.

Canberra

Australia's social media ban takes effect for kids under 16

President Trump, in recent months, has dismissed concerns about affordability, but this evening, in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, he is focusing on the crisis and touting his administration's efforts to lower the cost of living. Nancy Cordes has more.

Pennsylvania

Trump tries to flip the script on affordability

Dozens of protesters blocked a highway near Tel Aviv to demonstrate against moves by the Israeli government to force some ultra-Orthodox Jews into mandatory military service, something they are currently exempt from so they can study the Torah full time.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Bill over ultra-Orthodox military conscription sparks protests in Israel

President Trump has told Politico that Nicolas Maduro's "days are numbered" in Venezuela. Political strategists Kevin Sheridan and Hyma Moore join with analysis.

Washington

Trump says Maduro’s “days are numbered”

The FBI has released a new photo of former Olympian Ryan Wedding, whom the bureau’s director has described as a “modern day iteration of Pablo Escobar.” The ex-skier and snowboarder remains at large as agents continue their search.

FBI releases photo of Olympian and alleged drug kingpin Ryan Wedding

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Pope Leo XIV and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni in Rome on Tuesday (December 9), meanwhile voicing his refusal to surrender territory to Moscow despite pressure from Washington for territorial concessions.

Rome

Ukraine Invasion

Zelenskyy seeks backing from Pope Leo XIV, Italian PM Meloni

A federal judge said Tuesday (December 9) that the Department of Justice can unseal the Ghislaine Maxwell sex trafficking case records. CBS News' Scott MacFarlane has more details.

Judge says DOJ can unseal Ghislaine Maxwell trafficking case records

Prosecutors on Monday (December 8) released new evidence seized from Luigi Mangione on the day of his arrest. He is accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson a year ago and has pleaded not guilty.

Manhattan

New evidence introduced in Luigi Mangione case

The EU antitrust enforcer has opened an investigation into the U.S. tech giant over its use of online content to power its AI services, a move that threatens to ratchet up transatlantic relations.

Brussels

EU Commission opens probe into Google over AI

The U.S. government said the approval, which comes in exchange for a 25% surcharge, would also be available to other chipmakers like Intel and AMD.

Trump gives Nvidia green light to sell H200 chips to China

Ukraine is set to present a revised peace plan to the United States on Tuesday following President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s talks in London with the leaders of France, Germany, and Britain.

London

Ukraine to share revised peace plan with U.S., Zelenskiy says

The International Criminal Court Tuesday handed down a sentence of 20 years to a Sudanese militia leader for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the country's civil war two decades ago.

ICC sentences Sudan militia chief for crimes against humanity

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday (December 8) unveiled a $12 billion aid package for American farmers, the latest government effort to shore up a key political constituency hurt by the financial fallout from his trade policies.

Trump unveils $12 billion aid package for farmers hit by trade war

Thailand and Cambodia are blaming one another for starting a deadly exchange of fire that killed at least five people and threatens to unravel a U.S.-backed ceasefire between the neighbouring southeast Asian countries.

Surin

Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire could be unravelling

Paramount Skydance made a hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery for $108 billion US just days after Netflix announced it made a $72-billion US deal with the legacy studio. It’s a move that even has U.S. President Donald Trump weighing in.

Hollywood

Paramount launches hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros.

President Trump announced Monday he will allow Nvidia to sell its advanced H200 computer chips to "approved customers" in China, but Mr. Trump said the deal does not include Nvidia's more advanced Blackwell system or its soon-to-be-released Rubin system.

Trump says he's letting Nvidia sell some AI chips to China

Ukraine's European allies put on a show of support for President Volodymyr Zelensky Monday as they expressed scepticism about parts of the U.S. proposal to end the war with Russia. The discussions came after President Donald Trump accused Zelensky of not reading his administration's proposal on a deal to end Russia's invasion following almost four years of war.

Downing Street

European allies back Zelensky after Trump criticism

A powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake shook northeastern Japan late on Monday (December 8), prompting orders for about 90,000 residents to evacuate and tsunami warnings that hours later were downgraded to advisories.

Aomori

7.5-magnitude earthquake strikes Japan's northeast

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday (December 8) that unity between Europe, Ukraine and the U.S. was important when negotiating an end to Russia's war in Ukraine. He made the remark during a visit to London.

Kyiv stresses European unity as allies 'skeptical' of U.S. peace plan

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European allies prepared to hold talks in London on Monday (December 8), after President Donald Trump accused him of not reading the U.S. proposal to end the war with Russia.

Zelenskyy to meet European allies after Trump criticism

Thailand has launched airstrikes on Cambodian military sites as renewed border violence threatens a U.S.-backed peace deal.

Bangkok

Renewed border violence threatens Thai-Cambodia peace

South African authorities have withdrawn a 90-day visa exemption for Palestinians, saying the recent arrival of a charter flight with 153 people onboard was part of a campaign of “forced migration.”

Johannesburg

Middle East Conflict

South Africa withdraws 90-days visa exemption for Palestinians

Chinese and Japanese ties came under further strain after a Chinese fighter aircraft trained fire-control radar on Japanese military jets for the first time.

Okinawa

Chinese fighter jet locks radar on Japan planes

A military coup declared in Benin on Sunday has failed, the country’s interior minister said, just hours after soldiers took over state television to announce the dissolution of government.

Porto-Novo

Benin coup attempt thwarted by soldiers loyal to Republic

Hong Kong's citizens were voting on Sunday in an election where the focus is on turnout, with residents grieving and traumatized after the city's worst fire in nearly 80 years and the authorities scrambling to avoid a broader public backlash.

Hong Kong Island

Hong Kong holds tightly guarded election amid anger over deadly fire

A U.S. envoy says territorial claims remain a sticking point in a proposed peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. The U.S.-led meetings have ended; meanwhile, Russia launched a massive strike on central Ukraine early Sunday.

Kyiv

U.S.-led peace talks wrap as Russia launches strike on Ukraine

Russia targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure overnight, meaning another winter of power outages for Ukrainians as Vladimir Putin tries to crush their resolve. Holly Williams reports.

Moscow

Russia targets Ukraine's energy infrastructure

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth doubled down on U.S. military strikes on alleged drug boats, saying President Trump can take decisive military action as he sees fit. Willie James Inman reports on the latest.

Pete Hegseth on boat strikes: "We will find you and we will sink you"

To crackdown on so-called “narcoterrorists”, the US has slowly but steadily been building up its military presence in the Caribbean. 15,000 troops are now stationed in the area, many in Puerto Rico.

Ponce

U.S boosts military presence in Puerto Rico amid Venezuela tensions

Residents in the Indonesian region of Aceh Tamiang have been struggling to get aid while mourning the loss of their loved ones, as the death toll from floods and landslides that hit Sumatra island this month rose to more than 900 people.

Breakdown