Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos will attend meetings at the White House Thursday, underscoring the political dynamics involved in the company’s proposal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, according to two people familiar with the discussions, granted anonymity to speak candidly.
Top of the agenda: Netflix’s bid for the media giant and President Donald Trump’s demand that Netflix fire board member Susan Rice, a former Biden administration adviser, the people said. It wasn't immediately clear whether Sarandos would meet with Trump, one person said.
The meeting comes as a bidding fight over the deal intensifies. Warner Bros. has said a revised bid from Paramount — now increased to $31 a share from $30 — could outbid Netflix’s current offer, raising the prospect that political pressure and a bidding war are colliding in real time.
The Warner Bros. board of directors said on Tuesday that no final decision has been made. If Paramount gets the nod, Netflix will have four business days to come back with a higher bid.
The timing adds to Netflix’s exposure. The company is under scrutiny from the Department of Justice Antitrust Division, which has been probing Netflix’s market power and dealmaking.
President Donald Trump has also waded in.
In a recent Truth Social post, Trump publicly called for Rice to be fired, warning that if she remains on the board, Netflix will “pay the consequences.”
On a podcast last week, Rice warned that corporations, media outlets and law firms that “bent the knee” to Trump could face consequences if Democrats return to power.
Netflix declined to comment.
Speaking to the BBC, Sarandos downplayed the clash saying: “This is a business deal. It’s not a political deal.”
The rhetoric marks a shift, as Trump previously said he would stay out of the deal, leaving the matter to the Justice Department, which is examining whether a Netflix takeover of Warner Bros. would create a monopoly.
Just hours after his studio raised its bid, Paramount CEO David Ellison appeared at the State of the Union as a guest of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a close Trump ally.
Sarandos, for his part, met with Trump privately in November, according to one of the people familiar with the meeting.
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