Posted in: Movies, Netflix, TV | Tagged: netflix, trump

Netflix/Warner Bros. Discovery: Trump Talks Deal, Ted Sarandos Meeting

Donald Trump commented on the Netflix/Warner Bros. Discovery deal and confirmed having recently met with Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos.

Heading into the weekend, the news hit that Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) had finalized plans for the streaming service to officially buy WBD's film and television studios, HBO Max, and HBO, for a total enterprise value of $82.7 billion. Netflix and WBD's boards voted "unanimously" to approve the deal, which is expected to get underway after WBD finalizes the spinoff of its global networks division, Discovery Global, during Q3 2026 (not by April 2026, as initially announced over the summer). Since that news broke, a lot of folks have been wondering if the deal has a chance of getting a regulatory "green light" from the Trump administration. Speaking with the press on the red carpet for a Kennedy Center Honors event in Washington, D.C., Trump offered his first public thoughts on the deal.

"He's a great person… He's got a lot of interesting things happening aside from what you're talking about, but it is a big market share. There's no question about it. It could be a problem," Trump said of Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos and the recently announced deal, noting that he recently met with Sarandos at the White House to discuss the matter. Trump added that he has "a lot of respect" for Sarandos (who he also referred to as "a fantastic man"), but the deal must "go through a process, and we'll see what happens" (also noting, "I'll be involved in that decision").

"Our mission has always been to entertain the world," said Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, in a statement. "By combining Warner Bros.' incredible library of shows and movies—from timeless classics like Casablanca and Citizen Kane to modern favorites like Harry Potter and Friends—with our culture-defining titles like Stranger Things, KPop Demon Hunters and Squid Game, we'll be able to do that even better. Together, we can give audiences more of what they love and help define the next century of storytelling."

"This acquisition will improve our offering and accelerate our business for decades to come," continued Greg Peters, co-CEO of Netflix. "Warner Bros. has helped define entertainment for more than a century and continues to do so with phenomenal creative executives and production capabilities. With our global reach and proven business model, we can introduce a broader audience to the worlds they create—giving our members more options, attracting more fans to our best-in-class streaming service, strengthening the entire entertainment industry and creating more value for shareholders."

"Today's announcement combines two of the greatest storytelling companies in the world to bring to even more people the entertainment they love to watch the most," said David Zaslav, President and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery. "For more than a century, Warner Bros. has thrilled audiences, captured the world's attention, and shaped our culture. By coming together with Netflix, we will ensure people everywhere will continue to enjoy the world's most resonant stories for generations to come."

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