Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, held a pivotal meeting with President Donald Trump in the weeks preceding Netflix’s substantial $82.7 billion agreement to acquire Warner Bros. and HBO Max. Sources familiar with the discussion revealed that the meeting took place on November 24 in the Oval Office, lasting over an hour. While the agenda initially included topics such as the possibility of a federal film tax incentive, a significant portion of the conversation focused on Netflix's bid for Warner Bros. and HBO Max.

A spokesperson for Netflix declined to comment on the meeting. However, Bloomberg, which first reported the encounter, indicated that Sarandos left the gathering with the impression that Netflix’s Warner Bros. bid would not face immediate opposition from the White House. Despite this, the acquisition still requires regulatory approval, and concerns about antitrust issues have already been voiced by critics, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, as well as various segments of the creative community.

Many A-list filmmakers and producers are reportedly considering an open letter to oppose the sale, driven by fears that Netflix's acquisition of Warner Bros. would eliminate one of the largest theatrical distributors, thereby imperiling the financial health of cinemas. However, these artists also face a dilemma, as many have existing projects or deals with Netflix and are wary of potential blowback. Their hope is to attract enough signatories to ensure collective safety in numbers.

Netflix successfully outmaneuvered other prominent bidders, including Paramount-Skydance and Comcast. Paramount-Skydance, initially considered a strong contender due to David Ellison’s family ties to the president and his substantial wealth, has signaled its intention to pursue legal action, alleging that Warner Bros. conducted an unfair bidding process.

Despite Sarandos and his wife, Nicole Avant, a former U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas, having hosted numerous Democratic fundraisers for figures like former President Joe Biden, Sarandos has also made overtures to Trump's circle. This included a visit to Mar-a-Lago late last year to have dinner with Trump prior to his inauguration. In a previous interview with Variety, Sarandos declined to provide details about this dinner, characterizing it as a “private” meal. When questioned about the possibility of undertaking a creative project with the Trumps, similar to Netflix's deal with former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground productions, Sarandos demurred, stating, “I don’t know what he does creatively. He’s got his hands full.”