The Netflix co-CEO reportedly discussed the Warner Bros. deal. With Trump

will Netflix’s $82.7 billion deal to acquire Warner Bros. Obtaining approval from federal regulators?

While Paramount was supposed to be the front-runner to acquire the iconic film studio thanks to CEO David Ellison’s connections to the Trump administration, new reports have emerged in Bloomberg and Hollywood Reporter It reports that Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos met with President Donald Trump to discuss a potential deal in November.

Trump reportedly told Sarandos that Warner Bros. It has to sell to the highest bidder, and the Netflix CEO seemed to have left the meeting convinced that the president wouldn’t immediately oppose the takeover.

Bloomberg also reports that the CEO of Warner Bros. David Zaslav was reluctant to sell the company and was surprised when Paramount began exploring a takeover—if nothing else, he expected Ellison to wait until the studio completed the planned split of its film and streaming business from its cable networks.

Ultimately, Warner Bros. said: It would consider other offers, which led to a competitive process that Netflix won — though Paramount still managed to keep its hat in the ring with a hostile offer.