Paramount Skydance to bid for Warner Bros. Discovery - reports
At A Glance
- The merger of these two Hollywood powerhouses could redefine the landscape of the entertainment and media industry.
After taking over Paramount last month, media mogul David Ellison is keeping an eye on his new prospect: Warner Bros. Discovery.
The merger of these two Hollywood powerhouses could redefine the landscape of the entertainment and media industry.
According to the reports of the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, David is planning to bid for the ownership of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery would be a costly endeavor—the company is valued at $41billion, excluding its substantial $30 billion in debt.
However, reports suggest that David will have strong backing from his father, Larry Ellison, the Oracle co-founder and one of the world’s richest individuals, with an estimated net worth of $383 billion.
It was also reported that the Paramount Skydance bid would be an all-cash offer for the entirety of WBD.
If the bidding pushes through, having Warner Bros. and Paramount Skydance under one umbrella would create a media behemoth with a huge portfolio of pay TV networks, a sprawling range of sports rights, and two major film studios.
Paramount Skydance controls the CBS broadcast network, several pay TV channels including BET, MTV, and Nickelodeon, and the streaming platform Paramount+.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) boasts a powerful portfolio that includes major news outlets like CNN and TNT. It also owns HBO and its streaming platform, HBO Max, as well as the legendary Warner Bros. film studio, which holds the rights to iconic franchises such as Harry Potter, DC Comics, and "The Lord of the Rings."
The potential bid highlights the growing competition in the media industry, as traditional companies rush to grow bigger and improve their streaming services in response to falling TV viewership and declining advertising revenue.
As of this writing, no offer has been submitted, and the plans could still fall apart.