Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s co-CEO and chief content material officer, has shot down Donald Trump’s calls to take away Susan Rice, a member on Netflix’s board of administrators, from her place. Sarandos acknowledged that the present negotiations to purchase Warner Bros. are about enterprise and never politics.
What did Donald Trump say about Susan Rice?
Trump known as on Netflix to take away Rice from her place on Netflix’s board of administrators. Rice is a former US ambassador and was a nationwide safety advisor below the Obama and Biden administrations, in keeping with Business Insider.
“Netflix ought to hearth racist Trump deranged Susan Rice instantly, or pay the results,” learn a submit printed by MAGA influencer Laura Loomer on Truth Social, which was then reshared by Trump on Saturday.
Trump’s reshare got here after a current look from Rice on a podcast throughout which she stated that firms that “take a knee to Trump” might face retribution below a future Democratic administration.
Sarandos addressed Trump’s remarks head on: “He likes to do a whole lot of issues on social media,” he advised BBC Radio 4 throughout an interview on Monday, in keeping with Variety. “This is a enterprise deal. It’s not a political deal. This deal is run by the Department of Justice within the U.S. and regulators all through Europe and all over the world.”
Sarandos referred to Netflix’s present bid to purchase Warner Bros. and ongoing battle in opposition to Paramount to safe a deal.
Netflix and Paramount have been in negotiations to purchase Warner Bros.
Both Netflix and Paramount are at the moment attempting to safe a deal to purchase Warner Bros. The deal would require approval from the Department of Justice’s antitrust division. Trump beforehand stated he “shouldn’t be concerned” within the deal. Yet, he advocated for Rice’s elimination from Netflix’s board of administrators over the weekend.
Sarandos advised the BBC that Netflix’s purpose in shopping for Warner Bros. can be “progress within the economic system.” The streaming firm is seeking to purchase Warner Bros. streaming and studio property, whereas Paramount seeks to buy your complete firm, Business Insider reported.
Netflix provided a bid in December value $83 billion. A couple of days later, Paramount provided a rival bid at $108 billion. Although Warner Bros. has expressed a choice for Netflix’s supply, it gave Paramount till the top of Monday to give you a last supply.
Sarandos has criticized Paramount’s bid, which he certified as potential being “the traditional horizontal media mergers which might be at all times unhealthy for shoppers, at all times unhealthy for creators,” per Variety. He added that if Paramount buys Warner Bros. there would solely be 4 main studios in Hollywood as a substitute of 5.
“You have a look at that and assume, ‘Wow, this business might be a lot smaller below that possession than it might be below Netflix possession,’” Sarandos stated, in keeping with Variety.