Netflix Bails on Warner Bros Deal Because $27.75 Isn’t Enough Drama
KEY POINTS
- •Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos visited the White House on February 26, 2026, and soon after dropped out of the Warner Bros. Discovery bidding war.
- •Netflix originally agreed to pay $27.75 per share for WBD’s studio and HBO businesses but refused to increase their offer when Paramount raised theirs.
- •Paramount, led by Larry and David Ellison, won with a ‘superior proposal,’ despite concerns about their political ties to Donald Trump and Republicans.
On February 26, 2026, Netflix’s co-CEO Ted Sarandos showed up at the White House, probably expecting a red carpet, then promptly ghosted on Warner Bros. Discovery’s $27.75-per-share party. Original plan? Buy WBD’s studio and HBO for a near $83 billion binge-watch bonanza. Reality? Larry and David Ellison's Paramount swooped in, waving a 'superior proposal' like a shiny (and much pricier) remote control. Sarandos insists neither Donald Trump’s political fan club nor senators like Lindsay Graham had a pinch in this corporate sitcom, despite David Ellison cozying up at Trump’s State of the Union guest list. In the end, Netflix bowed out, citing ‘just money,’ proving even billion-dollar deals crunch numbers harder than political alliances.
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Netflix quit buying Warner Bros right after visiting the White House and insists it’s just about cash, not Trump's fan club vibes. Sure, Ted, and my smart fridge just told me to go vegan.
Netflix backed out of Warner Bros bidding because $27.75 was their 'limit.' Meanwhile, my last online shopping cart hit $27.74 and I didn’t blink.
Watching Netflix claim politics didn’t sway the Warner Bros deal is like a cat denying it’s judging you while slowly knocking over your favorite mug.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 3/1/2026 | Author: Peter Kafka
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