Feb 25 (Reuters) – Netflix co-chief executive Ted Sarandos will attend a meeting at the White House on Thursday to discuss the streaming giant’s bid to acquire the assets of Warner Bros. Discovery Inc and President Donald Trump’s request to oust board member Susan Rice, Politico reported on Wednesday.
Netflix has offered $27.75 a share, or $82.7 billion, for Warner Bros.’s studio and streaming assets in a fierce takeover battle, while rival Paramount escalated the fight on Monday, offering a higher price of $31 a share.
Netflix did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump has asked Netflix to fire Rice, a board member, after he said companies that “capitulate” to him could face consequences if Democrats return to power.
Trump posted on Truth Social that Netflix should fire “racist, Trump-crazy Susan Rice immediately or face the consequences,” paraphrasing a post by right-wing activist Laura Loomer who said he must terminate Netflix’s deal with Warner Bros.
However, Trump said earlier this month that he would stay out of the Warner Bros. dispute and let the Justice Department handle the matter, a shift from late last year when he said he would be involved in reviewing the deal.
Politico reported that it was unclear whether Sarandos would meet with Trump on Thursday, citing two people familiar with the discussions.
The U.S. Justice Department’s antitrust division is reviewing the proposed Netflix deal as well as a competing hostile takeover bid by Paramount.
The recent departure of the unit’s chief adds to enforcement uncertainty as companies step up lobbying efforts around major merger cases.
Paramount’s chief executive is David Ellison, whose father, billionaire Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, has developed a close relationship with Trump.
(Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel and Shinjini Ganguli)
