‘It’s over’: Netflix abandons Warner Bros bid, Trump allies to take control of DC Universe, Game of Thrones, CNN etc

Long after Donald Trump has left the White House, we’ll still be suffering the miserable impacts of his time in office. His and his minions’ decisions will affect our lives for decades to come, no matter which party next controls the levers of power.

Tragically, it’s now all but certain that will extend to our entertainment. For weeks, Netflix and Paramount Skydance have been competing to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. Netflix offered $83 million, but Paramount has countered with a fresh bid of $111 billion.

Paramount is currently run by die-hard MAGA devotee David Ellison, who is on a mission to create a Trump-focused media world encompassing news, cinema, TV, video games, and online content. Netflix, which was initially the favored bidder, soon realized it would effectively be battling against the Trump administration to get its acquisition approved.

Now Netflix has backed out, explaining that Paramount’s newest bid means the acquisition is no longer “financially attractive”:

Netflix Declines to Raise Offer for Warner Bros. https://t.co/GMVisCyest pic.twitter.com/h1tjBnLJoH

— Wario64 (@Wario64) February 26, 2026

So what does this mean? Well, it means Trump loyalists will now have complete control over CNN, CBS, HBO, TikTok, Showtime, and Comedy Central (among many others). It also grants them the rights to the entire stable of DC superheroes, Star Trek, The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, and any number of smaller franchises.

While it’s unlikely these will turn into MAGA propaganda overnight, expect it to have a chilling effect on the type of stories that will make it to audiences. This doesn’t even necessarily have to be an explicit order to produce movies and TV that support MAGA, as anyone pitching to this new colossal media conglomerate will know that they’re predisposed to green-light those kinds of stories.

Welcome to the machine

The general reaction to the news is grim, even though many cling to the faint hope that the deal won’t be approved (it almost certainly will):

The Trump Administration now controls Paramount AND Warner Bros.. pic.twitter.com/d3t81FdHYU https://t.co/Pnlly32OLP

— ໊ (@wandasattorney) February 26, 2026

Netflix isn't buying Warner Bros. / Discovery.

That means Trump-aligned David Ellison’s Paramount will buy it.

Saying that this means huge implications for news and entertainment is an understatement by far. pic.twitter.com/O1axLNSRXZ

— David Leavitt 🎲🎮🧙‍♂️🌈 (@DavidLeavitt) February 27, 2026

So the Trump admin owns Paramount AND Warner Bros. https://t.co/1eMOka7lZG pic.twitter.com/jirRL6Bel9

— Austin MacNamara (@gremloe) February 27, 2026

Complete ideological control of the American mind is their goal. They want every child in America to grow up consuming pro-MAGA content to the point they don’t even realize it’s propaganda. They want adults to watch the news and not think about what they’re being told. It’s insidious, it’s omnipresent, and it’s going to be around for the rest of our lives.