Netflix’s $82.7 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery has left CNN out in the cold, but this snub may have spared the WBD-owned news brand from potential corporate censorship. By avoiding the deal, CNN avoids being forced to navigate sensitive content removals under local censorship pressures.
In contrast to Netflix, which has removed content critical of Saudi Arabia and other countries from its platforms, a CNN-Paramount merger could lead to increased scrutiny from lawmakers and foreign regulators. This could have resulted in major regulatory hurdles for the network.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/andymeek/2025/12/06/cnn-got-snubbed-in-the-netflix-wbd-deal-why-thats-ultimately-a-good-thing