Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos disregarded concerns that criticism from President Donald Trump over a liberal board member could threaten the company’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.
During a BBC Radio 4 interview on Monday, Sarandos was asked about Trump’s Truth Social post from the weekend that demanded the streaming giant remove former United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice from its board or “pay the consequences.”
“This is a business deal. It’s not a political deal,” Sarandos said, brushing off the possibility of Trump interfering with the merger. “This deal is run by the Department of Justice in the U.S. and regulators throughout Europe and around the world.”
Netflix and Paramount Sky Dance are both looking to merge with Warner Bros. Discovery, and the Justice Department is reviewing whether the proposed deals comply with U.S. antitrust laws.
Trump, who has gone back and forth on his involvement in a possible merger, has threatened unspecified action if Rice remains on the board, though he has not detailed how he would act.
Rice, who served in former presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden’s administrations, was recently targeted by right-wing journalist Laura Loomer after she made comments that corporations “take a knee to Trump.” Trump’s demand was in response to Loomer’s post about Rice.
Rice, being a member of Netflix’s board, is just one of the ways the streaming company has rubbed shoulders with Democrats. Co-founder Reed Hastings dished out $2 million to back California’s redistricting push.
Sarandos’s remarks come amid broader pushback against the roughly $82.7 billion deal that would give Netflix control of franchises and content libraries, including HBO, HBO Max, and Warner Bros. Pictures.
In early February, Sarandos and Warner Bros. Discovery executives testified in a Senate anti-trust hearing and defended the merger as pro-competitive and beneficial to consumers while dismissing fears it would lessen competition in streaming and production.
TRUMP VOWS ‘CONSEQUENCES’ IF NETFLIX DOESN’T FIRE BOARD MEMBER SUSAN RICE
Netflix has sought to position its bid as a “vertical merger,” and Sarandos has said it would add assets the company does not have rather than eliminate competition.
Paramount’s rival bid, backed by Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison’s family, has been pitched as an alternative that would preserve competition.