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Netflix’s Ted Sarandos Rejects Trump’s Demand to Oust Susan Rice as Warner Bros. Battle Heats Up

Sarandos cast the Warner Bros. bid as a regulator‑run business transaction during a BBC interview.

Overview

  • President Trump urged Netflix on Truth Social to fire director Susan Rice or “pay the consequences,” without specifying what actions he might take.
  • Ted Sarandos said the pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery is “a business deal, not a political deal,” emphasizing oversight by the Justice Department and global regulators.
  • Sarandos framed Netflix’s offer as a vertical merger focused on growth and reiterated theatrical commitments, contrasting it with Paramount Skydance’s planned cost cuts.
  • Paramount Skydance has until late Monday to deliver a best‑and‑final bid for all of WBD, while Netflix holds a signed offer of about $83 billion for studio and streaming assets and a right to match.
  • Netflix shares fell on Monday as investors weighed the presidential intervention and ongoing antitrust scrutiny of the proposed transaction.