In a significant development within the media industry, Paramount CEO David Ellison has reportedly made assurances to Trump administration officials regarding potential changes at CNN, should his company successfully acquire Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). According to sources, Ellison pledged to revamp CNN, a network often criticized by former President Trump, if the government approves the acquisition. In parallel, Netflix has announced its intention to purchase Warner and HBO assets for a substantial $72 billion, setting the stage for a transformative shift in entertainment. However, Paramount, backed by its majority stakeholder, Oracle’s billionaire founder Larry Ellison, is vigorously contesting this merger.

During a recent visit to Washington, D.C., David Ellison communicated to Trump’s team his commitment to implementing significant changes at CNN, contingent on acquiring its parent company, WBD, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. Furthermore, Larry Ellison, renowned for his ties to Oracle, engaged in discussions with White House officials regarding the potential dismissal of certain CNN hosts, including Erin Burnett and Brianna Keilar, who are perceived as adversaries by Trump. This development follows David Ellison’s appearance alongside Trump at the Kennedy Center Honors, where the former president expressed his desire for new leadership at CNN and adjustments to its programming.

CNN has long been a target of Trump’s criticism, frequently labeled as ‘fake news’ by the former president, who accuses the network of biased reporting against his administration. In an effort to sway the acquisition in their favor, David Ellison enlisted his father’s support to advocate at the White House. As a known Trump ally, Larry Ellison reportedly contacted the president post-announcement to argue that the merger would stifle competition, as per a White House official and a source acquainted with the situation. WBD, a vast media entity, encompasses HBO, Discovery, TNT, CNN, and numerous other channels.

Netflix has reportedly made an all-cash offer to acquire the company, though the deal has not yet closed and faces potential antitrust scrutiny. Ellison says his offer for Warner is more likely to pass regulatory muster and would provide shareholders $18 billion more in cash than Netflix’s proposal. The secret meetings and phone calls to the White House display just how political the WBD merger is. But Trump has so far avoided publicly backing anyone and told aides he wants to be kept abreast of any potential antitrust probes into the deal. ‘None of them are particularly great friends of mine,’ he said at a White House roundtable on Monday.

Trump’s Department of Justice’s antitrust division will oversee the merger. Reporting over the last 24 hours have displayed how Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos and Paramount’s David Ellison have both been courting Trump and his inner circle for support in their proposals. The WSJ Politics newsletter on Tuesday opened with claiming how Netflix and Paramount are ‘right’ to be ‘acting like the fate of any multibillion-dollar deal is going to run through the Oval Office.’ Politico reported Monday night that Sarandos was at the White House last Tuesday – just days before Netflix’s mega-purchase was announced.

A Netflix spokesperson says Sarandos didn’t meet with Trump on that Tuesday visit. The proposed merger between WBD and Netflix could radically reshape the entertainment and news industry. Critics in politics, media and in Hollywood warn it would consolidate power, harm consumers and ultimately stifle creativity. Progressive Democrat Senator Elizabeth Warren called it an ‘anti-monopoly nightmare.’ The Massachusetts lawmaker argued it would give the potential new entity nearly half the streaming market and result in ‘higher subscription prices and fewer choices.’

Democrat Representative Pramila Jayapal echoed this sentiment and predicted ‘more price hikes, ads, & cookie cutter content, less creative control for artists, and lower pay for workers.’ But Republicans aren’t exactly on board either. Representative Mike Lee of Utah said the potential merger ‘should send alarm to antitrust enforcers around the world.’ And Republican Congressman Darrell Issa warned of reduced consumer choice. The Writers Guild of America released a statement insisting: ‘This merger must be blocked. The world’s largest streaming company swallowing one of its biggest competitors is what antitrust laws were designed to prevent.’