Listen to this article:
Despite US President Donald Trump’s declaration of neutrality in the battle between media giants, behind-the-scenes details reveal a different reality.
Paramount CEO David Ellison returned to the White House last week for a closed-door meeting with President Donald Trump. This meeting took place against the background of Paramount’s aggressive struggle to acquire CNN and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).
Meeting two days before, denial two days later
According to sources, Ellison and Trump had two extensive conversations earlier last week. However, the timing of these meetings is quite remarkable. Only a few days after the meeting—in an interview with NBC on Wednesday—Trump answered a question about the competition between Paramount and Netflix: “I’m not interfering in this matter”.
This is seen as a sharp turn in Trump’s position. Because he had previously signaled that he would participate in this process and did not hide his sympathy for Paramount.
The great media war: Who will win?
Currently, the Trump administration’s regulatory agencies are reviewing Netflix’s deal to buy Warner Bros. studio and HBO. Paramount is trying to block this deal and has sent a direct offer to shareholders to buy all of WBD (including CNN).
In an interview with NBC, Trump admitted that both sides—both Ellison and Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos—contacted him:
“Apparently, I am considered a very powerful president. Both sides are calling me. But I decided I shouldn’t interfere. The Department of Justice will handle this matter.”
Department of Justice’s Netflix move
Just two days after Trump’s interview, The Wall Street Journal wrote that the Department of Justice had launched an investigation into Netflix on suspicion of “violating antitrust rules.” Netflix denied these allegations, saying it was standard procedure.
The closeness of the Ellison and Trump families
David Ellison’s frequent visits to the White House are no coincidence. His father, Oracle’s billionaire co-founder Larry Ellison, is one of Donald Trump’s closest allies and supporters.
According to reports released last December, David Ellison promised the Trump administration that if he bought Warner Bros., he would make radical changes to CNN. Trump, in turn, called CNN’s current leadership a “disgrace” and stressed the importance of selling the channel.
Let us remind you that Trump, when talking about the Ellison family before: “Onlar mənim dostlarımdır və məni böyük dərəcədə dəstəkləyirlər. Onlar düzgün olanı edəcəklər”, — demişdi.