President Trump promised to be "involved" in the federal vetting of Netflix's potentially giant deal to buy Warner Bros. Speaking to reporters at the Kennedy Center on Sunday, Trump didn't tip his hand but sounded a warning that any such deal could end up making Netflix too big of a company:
- "They have a very big market share," Trump said, per the Washington Post. "When they have Warner Bros., that share goes up a lot. So, I don't know. That's going to be for some economists to tell and also—and I'll be involved in that decision, too. But they have a very big market share."
But in better news for Netflix, Trump confirmed that Ted Sarandos, the co-CEO of Netflix, came to the Oval Office last week to discuss the deal ahead of the offer. "I met with Ted. I think he's fantastic. I think, in the history of Hollywood, there's almost nothing like what he's done." But, he reiterated, "it is a big market share, there's no question about that. It could be a problem." The Hollywood Reporter suggests the meeting itself is notable: "While sources did not know what the two men discussed, it does seem to point to an outcome that led to Netflix feeling they had a clear enough runway to make a serious play for the historic studio." (Many in Hollywood hate the idea.)
Trump's comments came on an unusual night: He not only attended the annual Kennedy Center honors, he hosted them in a presidential first. "I'm acting like Johnny Carson," Trump joked, per Variety. Highlights will be telecast Dec. 23 on CBS. Honorees were Sylvester Stallone; KISS members Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, and Peter Criss; singer-actor Michael Crawford; country music's George Strait; and disco icon Gloria Gaynor.
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