Sarandos Rejects Trump Call to Oust Susan Rice as Netflix Faces $83bn Merger Showdown
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Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos has dismissed President Donald Trump’s demand that the streaming giant remove former national security adviser Susan Rice from its board, as the company battles for regulatory approval of its proposed $83 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).
Trump labelled Rice a “political hack” on Truth Social and suggested Netflix should “pay the consequences” if it failed to act, echoing criticism from far-right activist Laura Loomer, who urged the president to block the merger. Rice, who served under former President Barack Obama, sat on Netflix’s board from 2018 to 2020 and rejoined in 2023 after working in the Biden administration.
Speaking to the BBC, Sarandos stressed the transaction was “a business deal, not a political deal,” downplaying Trump’s social media interventions. The president has sent mixed signals on the merger, at times pledging involvement before later distancing himself.
The deal faces competition from Paramount Skydance, controlled by the Ellison family, and scrutiny from the US Department of Justice over potential monopoly concerns. Sarandos has met Trump to argue the acquisition would expand Netflix’s capabilities by adding a movie studio and distribution arm, while warning that alternative consolidation would shrink the number of major Hollywood studios from five to four.
The outcome will reshape the US media landscape amid intense political and regulatory pressure.
