{"id":2574110,"date":"2026-02-26T18:54:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T23:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/netflix-declines-to-increase-wbd-bid-letting-paramount-win\/"},"modified":"2026-02-26T18:57:45","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T23:57:45","slug":"netflix-declines-to-increase-wbd-bid-letting-paramount-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/netflix-declines-to-increase-wbd-bid-letting-paramount-win\/","title":{"rendered":"Netflix declines to increase WBD bid, letting Paramount win"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnetflix-declines-to-increase-wbd-bid-letting-paramount-win%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2574110&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Netflix declined to raise its offer for Warner Bros. Discovery after Paramount Skydance\u2019s revised bid was deemed superior by WBD\u2019s board, allowing Paramount to win the bidding war with an all-cash bid of $31 per share. The WBD board said the Paramount proposal constituted a \u201ccompany superior proposal\u201d but left the door open for Netflix to match; Netflix said the price required to match was no longer financially attractive. WBD had previously indicated its board would continue to support the Netflix deal, and it later signaled that it would terminate Netflix\u2019s merger agreement if the Paramount proposal persisted. Netflix co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters said the transaction would have created shareholder value and regulatory advantages, but at the current price it wasn\u2019t worth pursuing, thanking WBD for a fair process. Sarandos also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/navajo-landowners-roll-up-on-bidens-interior-secretary-with-awesome-2-word-demand\/\" title=\"Navajo Landowners confront Biden&#039;s Interior Secretary with powerful 2-word request.\">lobbied federal officials<\/a>, meeting with DOJ antitrust officials and White House staff as regulators review both bids for potential monopoly concerns, a point Sarandos denied. The report also <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >notes ongoing political scrutiny<\/a> of Netflix\u2019s ties to Democratic figures and fundraising,as well as Paramount\u2019s public push for shareholder votes and the possibility that WBD shareholders may not vote on a Netflix deal.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Netflix cedes Warner Bros. bidding war to Paramount after declining to increase offer<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2509440\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>In an unexpected move, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/netflix\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1727\">Netflix<\/a> declined to increase its offer for Warner Bros. Discovery on Thursday after the latter company called <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/paramount\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"16440\">Paramount Skydance&rsquo;s<\/a> revised bid &ldquo;superior.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Netflix decided against taking advantage of a four-day period to match its rival bidder. The extraordinary development ultimately lets Paramount take the win in the prolonged bidding war.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/4472288\/netflix-ted-sarandos-visit-white-house-trump-susan-rice\/\">Netflix CEO to visit White House after Trump demanded termination of board member<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/4471597\/republican-attorneys-general-urge-doj-thorough-review-netflix-warner-bros-merger\/\">Republican attorneys general urge DOJ to lead &#8216;thorough&#8217; review of Netflix-Warner Bros. merger<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/4471425\/bill-gates-apologizes-foundation-staff-jeffrey-epstein-relationship\/\">Bill Gates apologized to staff over Epstein ties. What was their relationship?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>About two hours earlier, the WBD Board of Directors determined Paramount&rsquo;s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/4469428\/warner-bros-recommends-netflix-offer-despite-new-proposal-paramount\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/4469428\/warner-bros-recommends-netflix-offer-despite-new-proposal-paramount\/\">latest offer<\/a> constitutes a &ldquo;company superior proposal&rdquo; but left the door open for Netflix to match. Paramount offered an all-cash bid worth $31 per share. Netflix decided raising its bid wasn&rsquo;t worth it.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The transaction we negotiated would have created shareholder value with a clear path to regulatory approval,&rdquo; Netflix co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/about.netflix.com\/en\/news\/netflix-declines-to-raise-offer-for-warner-bros\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/about.netflix.com\/en\/news\/netflix-declines-to-raise-offer-for-warner-bros\">said in a statement<\/a>. &ldquo;However, we&rsquo;ve always been disciplined, and at the price required to match Paramount Skydance&rsquo;s latest offer, the deal is no longer financially attractive, so we are declining to match the Paramount Skydance bid.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Warner Bros. is a world-class organization, and we want to thank David Zaslav, Gunnar Wiedenfels, Bruce Campbell, Brad Singer and the WBD Board for running a fair and rigorous process,&rdquo; they added. &ldquo;We believe we would have been strong stewards of Warner Bros.&rsquo; iconic brands, and that our deal would have strengthened the entertainment industry and preserved and created more production jobs in the U.S. But this transaction was always a &lsquo;nice to have&rsquo; at the right price, not a &lsquo;must have&rsquo; at any price.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/ir.wbd.com\/news-and-events\/financial-news\/financial-news-details\/2026\/Warner-Bros--Discovery-Board-of-Directors-Determines-Revised-Proposal-from-Paramount-Skydance-Constitutes-a-Company-Superior-Proposal\/default.aspx\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/ir.wbd.com\/news-and-events\/financial-news\/financial-news-details\/2026\/Warner-Bros--Discovery-Board-of-Directors-Determines-Revised-Proposal-from-Paramount-Skydance-Constitutes-a-Company-Superior-Proposal\/default.aspx\">Thursday press release<\/a>, WBD said it notified Netflix of its determination and that the board still recommended its deal with Netflix.<\/p>\n<p>But in the event &ldquo;the PSKY proposal continues to constitute a &lsquo;Company Superior Proposal,&#8217;&rdquo; the board said, &ldquo;WBD would be entitled to terminate the Netflix merger agreement.&rdquo; WBD is no longer required to make that decision now.<\/p>\n<p>Also on Thursday, Sarandos lobbied federal officials in a visit to the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/white-house\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"8767\">White House<\/a>. The executive was <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/CGasparino\/status\/2027051875913363508\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/x.com\/CGasparino\/status\/2027051875913363508\">reportedly set to meet<\/a> with Attorney General <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/pam-bondi\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"11687\">Pam Bondi<\/a>, White House chief of staff <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/susie-wiles\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"11678\">Susie Wiles<\/a>, and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/justice-department\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"167\">Justice Department<\/a> Antitrust Division officials.<\/p>\n<p>The department is reviewing both rival bids while investigating whether Netflix&rsquo;s stand-alone business constitutes a monopoly. Sarandos has denied the existence of a monopolization investigation.<\/p>\n<p>His visit came two days after Paramount CEO David Ellison attended the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/state-of-the-union\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"658\">State of the Union<\/a> address based on an invitation from Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/lindsey-graham\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"737\">Lindsey Graham<\/a> (R-SC).<\/p>\n<p>It is unclear whether Sarandos met with President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">Donald Trump<\/a> on Thursday to discuss the merger, although he had done so in late November 2025 before the deal was announced.<\/p>\n<p>Last weekend, Trump <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4466831\/trump-netflix-fire-board-member-susan-rice\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4466831\/trump-netflix-fire-board-member-susan-rice\/\">pressured<\/a> Netflix to fire former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/susan-rice\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"272\">Susan Rice<\/a> from its board over comments she made about punishing companies that kowtow to Trump. If she was not removed from the board, Trump vowed that the streaming service would &ldquo;pay the consequences.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Sarandos <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4468078\/netflix-dismisses-trump-criticism-liberal-threat-merger\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4468078\/netflix-dismisses-trump-criticism-liberal-threat-merger\/\">brushed off<\/a> the president&rsquo;s criticism and the possibility of federal intervention in the merger.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This is a business deal,&rdquo; he told the BBC this week. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not a political deal. This deal is run by the Department of Justice in the U.S. and regulators throughout Europe and around the world.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Netflix is facing much public scrutiny for its ties to the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/democratic-party\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"288\">Democratic Party<\/a>, whether that be Rice&rsquo;s board membership or the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tractor-supplys-dei-reversal-shows-citizen-activism-works\/\" title=\"Tractor Supply&#039;s DEI Reversal Shows Citizen Activism Works\">company&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s yearslong production deal with the Obamas.<\/p>\n<p>Sarandos and his wife, Nicole Avant, have associated themselves with the presidential couple by <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/tv\/tv-news\/netflixs-ted-sarandos-buys-david-590777\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/tv\/tv-news\/netflixs-ted-sarandos-buys-david-590777\/\">donating nearly $700,000<\/a> to then-President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/barack-obama\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"360\">Barack Obama&rsquo;s<\/a> 2012 reelection campaign. The chief executive has also given money to Democratic candidates as recently as 2022, according to a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.opensecrets.org\/donor-lookup\/results?name=Theodore+Sarandos&amp;order=desc&amp;sort=D\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.opensecrets.org\/donor-lookup\/results?name=Theodore+Sarandos&amp;order=desc&amp;sort=D\">review of public records<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/4472288\/netflix-ted-sarandos-visit-white-house-trump-susan-rice\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/4472288\/netflix-ted-sarandos-visit-white-house-trump-susan-rice\/\">NETFLIX CEO TO VISIT WHITE HOUSE AFTER TRUMP DEMANDED TERMINATION OF BOARD MEMBER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>During an <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4444265\/ted-sarandos-woke-netflix-warner-bros-deal-hearing\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4444265\/ted-sarandos-woke-netflix-warner-bros-deal-hearing\/\">antitrust hearing<\/a> earlier this month, Netflix&rsquo;s affiliation with Democrats was brought up in several lines of questioning from Republican senators as they questioned the merger.<\/p>\n<p>WBD was preparing to hold a March 20 meeting for shareholders to vote on the studio&rsquo;s merger agreement with Netflix. It now appears shareholders will not be able to vote in favor of Netflix. Paramount actively campaigned for shareholder votes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Netflix bows out; Paramount wins Warner bid<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2159,"featured_media":2574111,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP25352694411584_0373d6.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546,33651],"tags":[74683,5158,54802,17389,68238],"class_list":["post-2574110","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","category-the-western-journal","tag-mergers-and-acquisitions-2","tag-netflix","tag-paramount-2","tag-streaming","tag-wbd"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP25352694411584_0373d6.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2574110","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2159"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2574110"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2574110\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2574118,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2574110\/revisions\/2574118"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2574111"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2574110"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2574110"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2574110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}