David Ellison, seeking fresh capital for a merged Paramount-Warner Bros., is considering reaching out to tech mogul Elon Musk — the world’s richest person — to “become part of a syndicate of equity investors into Paramount,” according to a report by Semafor. According to the report, citing anonymous sources, “Musk’s name is one of a […]
Variety•Todd Spangler2h ago
In line with mega-mergers that have come before, the impending marriage of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery will lead to a media company packed with assets. What differentiates this deal — which is now in the clear to move forward — from others is the sheer amount of brands and intellectual property in play. […]
Variety•Jennifer Maas21h ago
Yes, there's $1.5 billion for domestic production, but the fine print of the merger settlement has a pretty symbolic line item.
The Hollywood Reporter•James Hibberd22 Sept
Paramount Skydance’s David Ellison has prevailed in his dogged pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery. Now comes the hard part: making the economics of the combined company work, given an extremely high debt load of the combined media company. Following the announcement of Paramount’s settlement with the 12 Democratic state attorneys general resolving their antitrust case […]
Variety•Todd Spangler22 Sept
The settlement with state attorneys general says the combined company has to maintain the service for the five-year term of the deal.
The Hollywood Reporter•Rick Porter21 Sept
As entertainment figures and politicos weigh in on the settlement of the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, the parties submitted details of a consent decree for a judge’s approval. Among other things, the decree requires a minimum number of annual film releases and another to spend $300 million more on domestic U.S. film production than was […]
Deadline•Ted Johnson21 Sept
The American Economic Liberties Project and the Block the Merger Coalition slammed the transaction, with one calling it “a bad deal for the future of film, entertainment, independent journalism, and a strong democracy in this country.“
The Hollywood Reporter•Katie Kilkenny21 Sept
Great news for the Ellisons and Saudi Arabia. Everyone else: not so much!
The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday approved Paramount’s petition to allow 49.5% of its equity to be held by foreign entities once the Warner Bros. Discovery deal is complete. Paramount owns 28 TV stations, and thus must get the FCC’s approval for foreign ownership over 25%. Its acquisition of WBD is backed by three Gulf […]
Variety•Gmaddaus17 Sept
The greenlight is aimed at ensuring that foreign investors can own a substantial share of Paramount without controlling the company.
The Hollywood Reporter•Winston Cho17 Sept
The merger's progression, despite legal challenges, highlights the diminishing power of state-level antitrust actions against federally approved deals.
CryptoBriefing•Editorial Team14 Aug
State-level antitrust actions could reshape corporate strategies, impacting future mergers and increasing financial risks for involved companies.
CryptoBriefing•Editorial Team14 Jul
State lawsuits against the merger highlight growing tensions between federal and state regulators, potentially reshaping future media deals.
CryptoBriefing•Editorial Team8 Jul