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Billionaire Diplomacy: Inside David Ellison’s European Lobbying Blitz Against Netflix

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2026-01-26

9 min read

Inside David Ellison’s Europe blitz: how his meetings with politicians and creatives aim to sway regulators in the $108.4B Warner Bros. Discovery bid.

Too many rumors, not enough context: why Ellison’s Europe tour matters

If you're sick of clickbait takes and want a clean, no-fluff briefing on why billionaire maneuvering in Brussels and Paris actually affects the shows you stream — and the share price you pretend not to watch — you’re in the right place. This is a on-the-ground explainer of David Ellison's Europe lobbying blitz, the playbook behind hostile bids, and exactly how rubbing elbows with politicians and local entertainment figures can tilt a regulator’s scales in 2026.

The headline: what's happening now

Paramount Skydance CEO and chairman David Ellison is touring Europe at full throttle to rally support for his roughly $108.4 billion hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, and to build a public and political counterweight to rival suitor Netflix. Regulators in the EU, the U.K. and Germany — as well as U.S. agencies — are already scrutinizing both offers. As coverage in outlets like Variety put it, Ellison is "on a race against the clock" to meet political leaders and entertainment figures across France, the U.K. and Germany.

"David Ellison is on a race against the clock, meeting political leaders and entertainment figures across Europe to rally support for his $108.4 billion hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery" — Variety, Jan 2026

Why Europe? Why now?

Europe is not just scenic detours for billionaires — it’s a regulatory and cultural battleground. Since 2023–2025, merger reviews have hardened worldwide: regulators care more about media plurality, national cultural industries, and streaming market concentration. The EU’s cross-border oversight, combined with national authorities in France, Germany and the U.K., means public sentiment and local political support can materially influence outcomes.

European regulators are sensitive to arguments about jobs, local production, and cultural identity. That sensitivity is a lever. For a hostile bidder, building local goodwill isn’t window dressing — it’s a litigation-grade strategy.

The lobbying playbook behind hostile bids — step by step

Hostile bids are a hybrid of finance, PR and politics. Here’s the real-world playbook Ellison and teams like his deploy in Europe — stripped of corporate spin and reduced to mechanics you can spot, verify, and (if necessary) oppose.

Stakeholder mapping

First, identify who matters: national regulators (CMA, Bundeskartellamt, Autorité de la concurrence), culture ministries, local production hubs, union leaders, high-profile creators, trade associations, and influential parliamentarians. The goal: build coalitions that can vouch publicly for the bidder’s promises.
Local narrative construction

Make the bid locally relevant: tailor messages to each market. In France, emphasize support for the "exception culturelle" and local quotas. In Germany, highlight local production funds and broadcaster partnerships. In the U.K., stress jobs in studios and VFX houses. These narratives feed into regulatory concerns about plurality and cultural preservation.
Coalition building with creative elites

Ellison’s meetings with leading directors, actors and producers aren’t celebrity box-ticking. They’re strategic: high-profile endorsements from local talent can sway public opinion and provide media-savvy testimony in hearings. Regulators often treat the creative community’s concerns — about local content, indie producers, or theater networks — as evidence of public interest.
Policy and economic evidence

Deploy economists and think tanks to produce white papers and modelling showing job creation, investment pledges, and consumer benefits. These studies are used both in formal merger filings and in the court of public opinion.
Public commitments and behavioral remedies

Offer concrete, enforceable promises: local production funds, guaranteed distribution windows, carriage commitments for broadcasters, and investment thresholds. The stronger and more enforceable the remedy, the more likely regulators will consider approving or softening scrutiny.
Private diplomacy

One-on-one lunches, studio tours, and private meetings with ministers and advisers build rapport. These contacts let bidders soften concerns, trade off concessions, and identify regulatory pain points before filings go public.
Rapid-response PR and grassroots campaigns

Mobilize sympathetic local voices — trade unions, regional chambers of commerce, and creative guilds — to sign letters, give interviews, and create a narrative that the bid preserves jobs and creative ecosystems.

How meeting politicians and entertainment figures sways regulators

Regulators don’t rule based on dinners, but those meetings change the inputs regulators use. Here’s how:

Evidence shaping: Regulators rely on market testimony and impact assessments. If high-profile creators and trade groups provide data or testimony claiming the buyer’s plan boosts production, that evidence gets into case files.
Political signaling: National governments can exert subtle pressure. A ministry publicly celebrating investment or industry leaders writing to regulators shifts the perceived public interest.
Credibility and reputational bargaining: A bidder offering tailored, enforceable commitments gains credibility. Regulators weigh whether promises are believable given the bidder's track record and local endorsements.
Framing the debate: Cultural arguments — protecting local screen heritage or independent studios — are emotive and persuasive. Creative voices can reframe a corporate takeover as an existential issue for a national industry.

Case studies — what history shows

Look at past mega-deals and how local lobbying changed outcomes:

Comcast-Sky (2018): Intense UK political debate and regulator involvement made that battle about national plurality and editorial independence, not just price. Comcast’s public commitments to editorial independence helped sway the outcome.
Disney–21st Century Fox (2017–18): Global regulatory scrutiny required divestitures and commitments that shaped post-merger market structure in multiple jurisdictions.
AT&T–Time Warner (2018): U.S. antitrust litigation showed how vertical integration narratives (content owner + distributor) create a legal battleground — a dynamic that European regulators now appraise through the prism of consumer choice and access.

2026 trends shaping how regulators think

Expect these dynamics to dominate merger reviews in 2026:

Stricter enforceability: Regulators prefer measurable, time-bound commitments backed by penalties or structural remedies.
Cross-border coordination: EU authorities and national agencies are coordinating more closely. A favorable outcome in one country won’t drown out objections in another.
Content plurality & cultural policy: Post-2024 policy shifts mean cultural arguments get more weight, particularly in France and Germany.
Public transparency pressure: Citizens and civil society groups increasingly demand transparency about lobbying contacts and deal terms; registers and FOI requests are becoming standard parts of the watchdog toolkit.

Practical, actionable advice — what to watch and do

Whether you’re a journalist, investor, creative, or policy wonk, here’s a practical checklist to cut through the noise:

For journalists

Track public commitments in filing documents and read the fine print: Are pledges bound by enforceable mechanisms?
Monitor lobbying registers and ministerial calendars in France, Germany and the U.K. for undisclosed contacts.
Ask for evidence behind job/production claims — demand independent verification of promised numbers and timelines.

For investors

Factor regulatory risk into valuation models: local political opposition can add months or force divestitures that erode synergies.
Watch for credible local endorsements — but discount PR-driven lists of supporters unless they include legally binding commitments.

For creatives and local industry groups

Negotiate enforceable guarantees: production minimums, timing commitments, local procurement rules and funding mechanisms — not just press releases.
Use public consultations: regulators often solicit input. Make detailed submissions explaining how you’ll be affected.

For regulators and policymakers

Insist on independent audits for claimed job and investment numbers.
Require sunset clauses, clawbacks and independent monitoring for any behavioral remedies.
Publish meeting logs and correspondence to increase public confidence in impartiality.

Risks and limits of billionaire diplomacy

All that being said, meetings and PR don’t guarantee victory. Regulators balance market data, consumer impact, and legal frameworks. Overplaying the celebrity angle can backfire if critics accuse bidders of buying influence. Non-enforceable promises are easily dismissed. And public backlash — especially in markets protective of cultural industries — can harden resistance.

What happens next — plausible outcomes for the Warner Bros. Discovery contest

Expect an intense 2026 phase of filings, counterarguments, and formal remedies. Plausible endings include:

Conditional approval: Regulators allow the deal if Ellison/Paramount Skydance delivers enforceable commitments (local production funds, independent monitoring).
Divestiture or licensing remedies: Sellers may be forced to license key assets or divest overlapping operations to preserve competition.
Blocked or delayed deal: If regulators find unacceptable concentration risks or insufficiently binding promises, the deal could be blocked or substantially altered — benefiting Netflix or triggering a bidding war.

How to spot theater-level signals in the next 90 days

Watch for five fast indicators that tell you whether Ellison’s Europe tour is working:

Signed public letters from national creative guilds or production unions backing Ellison’s plan.
Release of independent economic studies commissioned by the bidder showing local investment numbers.
Regulatory pre-filing meetings noted in public calendars or disclosed in transparency registers.
Concrete, time-bound commitments in official filings (not just press releases).
Government statements — even neutral ones — signaling comfort with proposed remedies.

Final read: why this matters for you

This fight isn’t just billionaire theater. The outcome will shape streaming competition, creative employment, and the cultural products you get to watch. Ellison’s European lobbying blitz is a modern textbook example of how money, politics and culture intersect — and why regulators are now a central battlefield for media power plays.

Quick takeaways

Ellison’s Europe tour is strategic, not symbolic — aimed at influencing plurality and cultural arguments regulators care about.
Hostile bids succeed when backed by enforceable, local commitments and credible endorsements from industry players.
Watch the details: public commitments, independent studies, and registered meetings are the real signals — not press parties.

Call to action

Want a short, printable checklist you can use to track this deal and future media megamergers? Click to download our regulatory-watch checklist, or subscribe for bite-sized updates that cut through the noise. Share this with a mate who still thinks deals are just boardroom drama — they’re cultural policy now.

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Contributor

Senior editor and content strategist. Writing about technology, design, and the future of digital media. Follow along for deep dives into the industry's moving parts.