Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos to visit White House on Thursday amid Warner Bros bid: Report
According to Politico, citing two people familiar with the discussions, Netflix co-CEO Sarandos addressed Netflix’s proposed Warner Bros. company at the White House on Thursday, February 26. He is expected to attend meetings highlighting the political dimensions of the Discovery acquisition.
The news source said it is not yet clear whether Sarandos will meet with President Donald Trump.
Warner Bros. offer and political pressure
According to sources, at the top of the agenda is Netflix’s Warner Bros. It will include the Discovery proposal and Trump’s demand that the company fire board member Susan Rice, a former Biden administration official.
Trump previously amplified a post by right-wing activist Laura Loomer on Truth Social, writing that Netflix should “IMMEDIATELY fire racist, Trump-crazed Susan Rice or suffer the consequences.”
But earlier this month, Trump announced that Warner Bros. He reversed his previous stance that he would personally contribute to the settlement, saying he would stay out of the dispute and leave the review to the United States Department of Justice.
Competitive takeover bids
Netflix, Warner Bros. He offered $27.75 per share for Discovery’s studio and broadcast assets, valuing his offer at $82.7 billion.
Meanwhile, rival Paramount Global has escalated the battle with a higher offer of $31 per share for the entire company.
Paramount has intensified its pursuit of Warner Bros., signaling that it will not back down from the high-risk acquisition race. The company’s revised, higher offer is expected to test Netflix’s willingness to increase its bid for the media giant’s valuable assets, including its production studios and library of premium content.
Warner Bros. confirmed that talks were ongoing after Paramount submitted an improved offer. The company said its board of directors has not yet decided whether the updated Paramount offer is superior to the previously announced merger deal with Netflix.
“The board has not reached a decision on whether the revised Paramount offer is superior to the merger with Netflix,” Warner Bros. said. He plans to have further discussions with Paramount and said Netflix would take four business days to respond if the board supports the sugary proposal.
Paramount CEO David Ellison attended the State of the Union as a guest of close Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham, Politico said.
antitrust review
The proposed Netflix transaction is being reviewed by the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, which is examining both Netflix’s market power and its broader deal-making strategy.
A rival Paramount bid is also under regulatory review as officials consider potential antitrust concerns in the media industry.
