Cnn staff fear for future as David Ellison nears control of Warner Bros. Discovery
Netflix’s sudden withdrawal from the bidding for Warner Bros. Discovery has left employees scrambling and fearful that David Ellison will soon control the company’s news network, staffers say. The streamer declared the deal “no longer financially attractive” on Thursday afternoon, clearing the path for Ellison’s takeover and prompting alarms inside ’s offices at Hudson Yards.
staffers reel after Netflix drops bid
Inside, an insider said, “The panic at right now is off the charts. ” The comment came after Netflix boss Ted Sarandos left the White House following meetings with Donald Trump’s chief of staff and the Justice Department and then announced the company would abandon its pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Netflix exits, $31-per-share bid from Paramount now uncontested
Netflix’s statement that the deal was “no longer financially attractive” followed expectations that the streamer might counter Paramount’s $31-per-share offer for Warner Bros. Discovery. With Netflix out, the context says the move clears the way for David Ellison—Paramount Skydance chief and a figure who has signaled alignment with Donald Trump—to seize control of WBD’s portfolio, which includes Warner Bros. Pictures, HBO Max and a suite of cable networks, most notably.
Staff fear layoffs and new editorial leadership
Employees at reacted quickly, with messages and concern spreading within minutes of the announcement. The context indicates the anticipated change in ownership “all but guarantees brutal layoffs across the company, ” and some staffers worried they could be working for Bari Weiss before the end of the year. The prospect of major cuts and a shift in leadership tone has set off an internal scramble at the network’s Hudson Yards campus.
At, the sudden reversal by Netflix both removed an alternative path for the company’s future and intensified the immediate likelihood that Ellison will consolidate control. The outcome carries direct consequences for staffing and the network’s position within Warner Bros. Discovery’s larger slate of brands.
The next confirmed development is the cleared path for David Ellison to take control of Warner Bros. Discovery and its properties, including Warner Bros. Pictures and HBO Max; staff at are braced for the personnel and editorial changes that announcement implies.
