Speaking to Deadline reporter Ted Johnson on the black carpet at the Kennedy Center, Trump was asked whether he opposed Netflix’s proposed $83 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery’s movie, television, HBO, and digital assets. Trump said he was still reviewing the situation.
“I’m looking at the whole thing,” Trump said. “I have a great feeling.”
Warner Bros. Discovery, led by CEO David Zaslav, has already agreed to the deal with Netflix. However, Paramount Global, backed by David Ellison, is pushing a competing $108 billion hostile takeover bid. Paramount executives are also working to block Netflix’s deal by arguing it would give the streamer too much control over the entertainment market.
As part of that effort, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos is scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary antitrust subcommittee on February 3. The hearing will be chaired by Senator Mike Lee.
Trump suggested the proposed Netflix deal could raise monopoly concerns. “I like both of them very much,” he said. “It looks to me like one of them is very much a monopoly if they are able to do this deal. So we’ll see how it all works out.”
Trump made the remarks while promoting the Melania documentary, which focuses on First Lady Melania Trump. The film premiered Thursday night and was directed by Brett Ratner. It opens in theaters on Friday on more than 1,200 screens, with a streaming release to follow on Amazon Prime Video.
Amazon has said the deal is not meant to influence the White House, even though the company paid $40 million to acquire the film and an estimated $35 million to market it. Reports say Melania Trump was paid more than $25 million for the project. Box office estimates suggest the film could earn between $3 million and $5 million this weekend, largely from conservative audiences in rural areas.
The documentary has placed Melania Trump back in the public spotlight while also drawing attention to Amazon’s streaming platform. At the same time, critics argue the release has helped shift attention away from major political controversies, including immigration enforcement actions, Russia’s war in Ukraine, a looming government shutdown, and unrest in Iran.
Meanwhile, Paramount recently extended its shareholder deadline from January 21 to February 20 as it continues its push to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. So far, WBD shareholders have not shown strong support for Paramount’s bid.
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