If Ted Sarandos is concerned about any competitive edge that a Paramount/Warner Bros. merger might pose, he’s not showing it. Speaking Wednesday at the Bloomberg Screentime conference, Sarandos was mostly dismissive of any rivalry: “It’s looked on paper so far it’s one and one,” he said, referring to the company’s two streaming services. “So I don’t know if one and one is two, or one and one is one and a half, or one and one is three.”
\n\nWhen asked about rampant rumors that Sarandos had been courting HBO/HBO Max content chairman Casey Bloys for a job or production deal, the exec downplayed it. “He’s a good guy. For some reason, we had a very well-publicized lunch. We have eaten together many times … He’s going to be in a very good position wherever he does. He’s a super talented guy.”
\n\nThe news of Bloys’ ascension to take over Paramount+ alongside HBO Max has not officially been announced, but with a judge giving the final sign-off Wednesday to let the merger proceed, the deal — and some of the new structure, including Bloys’ role — is expected to be announced next week.
\n\nDoes Sarandos regret Netflix’s bid for Warner Bros.
Original source: https://variety.com/v/tv/