Trump Leaves Warner Bros. Discovery Takeover to DOJ as Netflix, Paramount Battle
- Trump won't intervene in the Warner Bros. Discovery takeover fight, leaving the matter to the Justice Department.
- Regulatory outcomes will determine Warner Bros. Discovery's content assets' future, especially HBO, HBO Max and the studio.
- Netflix's $72B carve-out offer (studio, HBO/HBO Max) is backed by WBD leadership; Paramount launched a $108B hostile bid.
White House Passes on WBD Takeover Fight
President Donald Trump says he will not intervene in the high-stakes corporate battle over Warner Bros. Discovery, telling NBC Nightly News that he has been “called by both sides” but will leave the matter to the Justice Department. The comments, made after he is photographed in the Oval Office on Jan. 30, 2026, mark a change from his December warning that Netflix’s proposed purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery “could be a problem” because of potential market-share concentration.
President Defers to DOJ in War for Warner Bros. Discovery
Trump is framing the contest between Netflix and Paramount as a private commercial fight and says federal regulators, not the White House, will decide whether either transaction can proceed. He describes the bidders as “beating the hell out of each other” and predicts “there’ll be a winner,” while reiterating that the Justice Department will handle antitrust review. The shift reduces the likelihood of direct presidential public pressure on the outcome and places focus on procedural antitrust scrutiny by federal authorities.
The development matters to Warner Bros. Discovery because regulatory outcomes will determine the future of its content assets and strategic direction in a media landscape shifting toward streaming consolidation. The company’s film studio, HBO and HBO Max remain central bargaining chips; who ultimately controls these assets will shape competition in premium streaming content and studio distribution. Industry observers say the DOJ’s approach to market-definition, remedies and divestitures will be pivotal in assessing whether a deal threatens competition.
Bid Details and Corporate Stakes
Netflix is offering a proposed $72 billion deal that carves out Warner Bros. Discovery’s cable networks, including CNN, while transferring the studio plus HBO and the HBO Max streaming service to Netflix. Warner Bros. Discovery’s leadership recommends approval of that offer, setting up a rare instance of company management backing a buyer that proposes to sell off parts of the business.
Paramount responds with a hostile takeover bid valuing Warner Bros. Discovery’s enterprise at more than $108 billion, seeking control of the entire company. The competing approaches underscore differing visions for how legacy networks, premium streaming and studio operations fit in an industry confronting subscriber churn, advertising pressures and content costs. This remains developing news; regulators’ next moves will shape the outcome.
