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Netflix Boss Defends Board Member Amid Trump's Attacks
23 Feb
Summary
- Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos addressed Donald Trump's demand to remove a board member.
- The company is in a bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery.
- Sarandos emphasized the Netflix bid would foster more content investment.
Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos has directly addressed a social media demand from Donald Trump calling for the removal of board member Susan Rice. Sarandos stated on BBC Radio 4 that the situation is purely a business transaction, not a political one, and is overseen by regulatory bodies.
This response comes as Netflix competes with Paramount for the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. Rice, a former U.S. National Security Advisor, currently serves on Netflix's board. Sarandos characterized Trump's involvement as characteristic of his social media habits and dismissed its impact on the bidding process.
Sarandos championed Netflix's bid, arguing that acquiring Warner Bros. would stimulate greater investment in original content and benefit Hollywood overall. He contrasted this with Paramount's stated intention to cut $6 billion from its business, suggesting Netflix's ownership would result in a larger industry. He also addressed James Cameron's endorsement of Paramount, finding it confusing given their previous discussions on theatrical windows. Cameron had expressed concerns that a Netflix acquisition would harm movie theaters and lead to job losses.
