Trump Reportedly Backing Netflix Deal as Paramount’s David Ellison Blunders

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President Trump hasn’t commented on Netflix’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, and that silence speaks volumes.

Recent reports indicate that President Trump might approve of Netflix buying Warner Bros. Discovery. This is a surprising development, as many experts previously thought his opposition would prevent the deal from happening.

Sarandos Meets With Trump, Builds “Friendship”

According to the New York Post, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav thinks Netflix has had an easier time with regulations because Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos recently met with President Trump.

The report indicates that Sarandos and Trump have become friends, and Sarandos used their meetings to make the case that:

  • The Netflix–WBD deal has no major overlap, meaning minimal job losses.
  • Netflix will increase U.S. film production.
  • Antitrust concerns are overstated given the competition from social media and short-form platforms.

Bloomberg reported that Sarandos met with Trump again before Netflix made its offer, directly advocating for the company to be acquired.

In December 2024, Ted Sarandos visited Mar-a-Lago, a move seen in Hollywood as an effort to establish a good relationship with the incoming administration.

Ellison’s Miscalculation?

If Donald Trump approves of Netflix acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery, it suggests David Ellison and Skydance may have significantly misjudged the circumstances.

Ellison’s plan relied on the belief that the Trump administration would prevent Netflix from acquiring the studio due to antitrust concerns. This created an opportunity for Skydance to buy the studio, and it’s likely why Ellison initially made very low offers.

Ultimately, Sarandos met with Donald Trump, and Netflix secured the deal, which shocked many in the industry. Experts had predicted Paramount and Skydance would win, and some wondered if David Ellison should revisit Trump’s book, The Art of the Deal.

The Post adds the Ellisons never expected Sarandos to personally lock down Trump’s support.

A Clearer Regulatory Path for Netflix

If reports are true and Donald Trump supports the deal, Netflix acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery would receive a major boost, even before official regulatory reviews start.

As a movie and TV fan, this could be huge! It sounds like Netflix might have a much easier time acquiring Warner Bros., HBO, and DC – basically, taking over all the amazing content those studios create. Fewer hurdles and quicker approvals would mean they could really streamline things and control everything from start to finish.

Okay, so the latest buzz is that this merger should be finalized somewhere between a year and a half and two years. But here’s the interesting part: a lot of industry insiders are saying that Donald Trump’s position on things could actually speed up that process. It’s definitely something to watch – his involvement could really shake things up and get this deal done faster than expected.

Unless unforeseen issues arise with Donald Trump, Paramount’s best option for buying Warner Bros Discovery appears to be a takeover attempt directly targeting shareholders, rather than negotiating with CEO David Zaslav and the WBD board.

The Trump card folds?

Sources close to the situation indicated a major conflict was brewing in Hollywood, with many hoping Donald Trump would intervene and prevent Netflix from succeeding. We heard that influential figures intended to rally around Trump to oppose Netflix’s efforts.

Rather than speaking out, Trump has remained silent—and recent reports indicate he actually approves of the Netflix agreement, believing the highest bidder deserves to win.

What it means for DC

There’s been a lot of talk among DC fans that after Warner Bros. Discovery was sold, James Gunn would leave and Zack Snyder’s vision for the DC Universe would be revived, with Paramount being a likely home for it.

Now with Netflix, have things changed? Maybe not.

A recent article in Bloomberg indicates that James Gunn and Peter Safran’s future work with Netflix isn’t secure.

Zack Snyder also just teased “many more stories together” with Henry Cavill as Superman.

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2025-12-07 23:02