The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) holds the power to obstruct mergers that it considers to go versus antitrust laws, Trump’s impact over the DOJ can’t be neglected. While Paramount formerly appeared to develop an excellent relationship with the president, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos might have done the very same just recently.

Sarandos “talked to the president in the last number of weeks in a confab that lasted about 2 hours,” The Hollywood Reporter reported on Sunday, pointing out “numerous” confidential sources. A White House authorities informed the publication that they can’t talk about “personal conferences that might or might not have actually taken place,” and Netflix didn’t react to the publication’s ask for remark.

Trump’s relationship with the Ellisons and Paramount might have taken a turn just recently. Today, the president blasted Paramount over an interview with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) that aired on the news program 60 MinutesAs he stated on Truth Social, per The Hollywood Reporter: “My genuine issue with the program, nevertheless, wasn’t the low IQ traitor, it was that the brand-new ownership of 60 Minutes, Paramount, would permit a program like this to air. THEY ARE NO BETTER THAN THE OLD OWNERSHIP, who simply paid me countless Dollars for FAKE REPORTING about your preferred President, ME! Because they purchased it, 60 Minutes has really become worse.”

Attracting the cinema market

The cinema market is among the greatest critics of Netflix’s WB acquisition due to fear that the streaming leader will not launch as lots of motion pictures to theaters for as long and might drive down licensing costs. Paramount is leaning into this uneasiness.

As one of the earliest movie studios (Paramount was established as Famous Players Film Company in 1912), Paramount has much deeper ties to the theater service. Ellison declared that if Paramount and WBD combine, there will be “a higher number of films in theaters.”

Sarandos stated recently that Netflix prepares to preserve WBD’s existing theater release schedule, which apparently goes through 2029.

In regards to streaming, Paramount’s statement indicated a “mix of Paramount+ and HBO Max,” providing credence to a November report that Paramount would fold HBO Max into its own flagship streaming service if it purchases WBD.

With many markets, huge names, billions of dollars, and politics all at play, the legend of the WBD split and/or merger is only simply starting.

This short article was upgraded on December 8 at 2:31 p.m. ET with remark from Sarandos.