Ted Sarandos Heads to Washington — May Meet With Trump as Pressure Builds Over Netflix Warner Bros. Deal

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Netflix’s Ted Sarandos is returning to Washington, D.C. as the company deals with increasing political and regulatory challenges surrounding its plan to buy streaming properties from Warner Bros. Discovery. This includes more attention from officials associated with the Trump administration.

According to The New York Post, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos is traveling to Washington D.C. on Thursday for a final attempt to save a major deal. This comes as regulators raise concerns about potential antitrust issues and political pressure mounts on Netflix’s leadership, making it harder for the company to move forward.

Netflix Launches Lobbying Push

According to The Post, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos and the company’s lobbying team are actively trying to improve relations with the government, possibly including a meeting with President Trump. It’s currently unknown if a meeting will actually happen.

Sarandos previously met with Trump in November, according to the outlet.

The main point of discussion is Netflix’s proposal to combine Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming service and content with its own, bringing the top two streaming services – currently ranked number one and three – together under one company.

Antitrust Alarm Bells Ringing

Officials are paying close attention to whether this deal would give Netflix too much control over the streaming and content industries.

The Justice Department is beginning to look into whether Netflix’s business practices violate antitrust laws, specifically those preventing monopolies. If regulators decide Netflix is acting illegally, it could lead to a lengthy legal fight that experts predict could last for several years.

A top Warner Bros. Discovery executive directly acknowledged that DC Comics has areas needing improvement, telling the Washington Post, “They have some work to do in DC.”

Political Headwinds Complicate the Picture

The issue has become even more complicated, not only because of legal and regulatory worries, but also due to public debate about Netflix board member Susan Rice.

Susan Rice, who served as national security advisor under President Obama, recently said on a podcast that businesses supporting the Trump administration might face repercussions if Democrats regain control. She cautioned them about the potential risks of aligning themselves too closely with the current administration.

According to reports, Trump reacted by telling Sarandos to either remove Rice from Netflix’s board of directors or face unspecified repercussions.

Sarandos addressed the comment, explaining that Trump ‘likes to use social media a lot,’ but emphasized this was simply a business agreement, not a political one.

Shareholder Anxiety Rising

Wall Street is also showing signs of unease.

According to reports, some Netflix shareholders are advising the company’s leaders to think twice about buying HBO Max and Warner Bros.’ studios. The deal, estimated at around $73 billion, could force Netflix to borrow a substantial amount of money.

Netflix stock jumped almost 6% recently, as some believe the company might choose to abandon its current path instead of getting stuck in a long and difficult legal battle.

Paramount Skydance Circles

To make things even more complex, Warner Bros. Discovery is also considering a new, improved offer from Paramount Skydance.

Some investors believe the other offer might be approved more easily by regulators, as it doesn’t directly challenge the leading streaming services as much.

If the Warner Bros. Discovery board decides that the offer from Paramount and Skydance is significantly better, Netflix will have a chance to make a matching offer. Shareholders will vote on this on March 20th.

The Streaming Landscape at Stake

Wall Street and Washington are closely watching Warner Bros. Discovery, largely because of the company’s valuable holdings like HBO Max, the Warner studio, and CNN.

As regulators pay closer attention, political disagreements increase, and another company starts to challenge Netflix, Ted Sarandos’ recent visit to Washington highlights the growing difficulties and unpredictability surrounding the company’s plans for growth.

The success of this deal hinges on the company’s ability to address antitrust issues and manage the increasing controversy around Trump’s role.

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2026-02-26 21:57