Few Assurances For Media Giants In Election Wins By Either Trump Or Harris
deadline.comWarner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav begged for relief from regulators last summer – “We just need an opportunity for deregulation, so companies can consolidate and do what we need to do to be even better,” he said at Sun Valley in July, expressing the frustration in corner offices across industries.
As the presidential election loomed, Zaslav didn’t indicate a preference for Donald Trump or Kamala Harris, just a world where M&A is easier.
Fast forward. The election is here, and it is still not obvious which of the two candidates will look more kindly on dealmaking, especially in media. “Generally, Democrats will be more restrictive on deals.
But I think there are industry differentials,” says a longtime Wall Streeter who follows entertainment. “We’re not sure, because it is obvious that a Harris administration might be more focused on the consumer and [wary of] consolidation, but Trump clearly has a weird thing with the media companies,” agrees an exec at a Washington D.C.
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