Tag

Ellison

All articles tagged with #ellison

business14 days ago•17 min saved

WBD Upfront Doubles Down on IP, Acknowledging Ellison’s Shadow

Warner Bros. Discovery’s annual upfront spotlighted a strong IP slate—Minecraft Movie 2, a Harry Potter TV series, The White Lotus season 4, and cross‑platform ad offerings across HBO Max, Discovery+, and CNN—while openly acknowledging industry upheaval and the looming Paramount Skydance deal, playfully nodding to “Ellison in the room” as a symbol of change ahead. The showcase featured cameos from Shaquille O’Neal, Leslie Jones, and Terry Crews, and underscored a push to engage the TikTok generation, but left audiences after about an hour while executives reaffirmed that the core content portfolio remains the company’s centerpiece.

via Variety|

#business #ellison #merger

business1 month ago•16 min saved

Paramount Skydance Reveals Multi‑Million 2025 Pay for Ellison and Shell

Paramount Skydance disclosed in an SEC filing that David Ellison’s 2025 compensation totaled $63.2 million (mostly stock vesting over five years) and former president Jeff Shell’s totaled $60.68 million, with most of each package in stock awards (Ellison about $58.7 million) plus pro‑rated salaries and cash bonuses; Shell also will receive accelerated vesting of stock and cash under his separation agreement. Several other executives posted seven-figure stock‑based pay as Paramount navigates a Warner Bros. Discovery deal and Shell’s departure amid a securities dispute.

via Variety|

#business #ellison #executive-compensation

politics1 month ago•2 min saved

Lawmakers protest Ellison‑hosted Trump dinner as media merger advances

Dozens of protesters, including members of Congress, gathered near the National Mall to denounce a private dinner hosted by Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison in honor of the Trump administration and CBS News, arguing it signals a cozy tie between Ellison’s media interests and the White House as Warner Bros. Discovery’s roughly $110 billion merger moves forward toward DOJ and European scrutiny; critics call the event an “oligarch’s dinner,” while antitrust actions loom even as WBD shareholders approved the merger.

via The Guardian|

#antitrust #cbs-news #congress

business1 month ago•16 min saved

Paramount Touts Smaller Upfront Tour, Teases Dutton Ranch Ahead of Big Deals

Paramount kicked off its Upfront tour with a New York event led by CEO David Ellison and top executives, emphasizing ad partnerships, Pluto FAST evolution, and in-house studios, while previewing Yellowstone spinoff Dutton Ranch with Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser. The company is opting for smaller, partnership-focused gatherings rather than a large show and is tying these efforts to its expanding slate and advertising tech. The evening featured music by Wyclef Jean and comments from execs on storytelling and marketing alignment, coming as Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders prepare to vote on selling WBD to Paramount for $31 a share, with a close anticipated in Q3 pending approvals.

via Deadline|

#business #dutton-ranch #ellison

politics1 month ago•21 min saved

Booker presses Ellison to testify on Paramount-WBD merger in Congress

Sen. Cory Booker says he still wants Paramount CEO David Ellison to testify on the Paramount-WBD merger in Congress, keeping the invitation open after a spotlight hearing highlighted concerns about jobs and media influence. Ellison reportedly could not attend due to a family funeral, with Booker urging him to defend the merger and critics warning about concentration of power and its impact on the industry and free expression.

via Deadline|

#cory-booker #ellison #merger

business1 month ago•17 min saved

Ellison Skips Senate Hearing as Family Death Shifts Paramount-Warner Merger Spotlight

Paramount’s $111 billion bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery will proceed with a Senate antitrust hearing, but David Ellison won’t testify due to a death in the family; Paramount says he’s attending a funeral, despite pressure from Sen. Booker for him to appear, as lobbying and opposition to the deal from lawmakers and industry groups intensify.

via The Hollywood Reporter|

#antitrust #business #ellison

business1 month ago•4 min saved

Cameron Backs Paramount-WBD Merger Amid Industry Backlash

James Cameron says he supports Paramount's planned $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery and believes David Ellison is the right leader to run a multi-studio powerhouse, even as a large sector of the industry campaigns to block the deal. Cameron has a history with Ellison and previously criticized Netflix’s theatrical approach; meanwhile, an open letter from the Democracy Defenders Fund with over 2,000 signatories urges regulators to scrutinize and potentially block the transaction.

via TheWrap|

#block-the-merger #business #ellison

business1 month ago•17 min saved

Paramount CEO Skips Senate Hearing on Warner Bros. Merger Over Family Bereavement

Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison will not attend a Senate hearing on Paramount Skydance’s proposed $111 billion deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery because of a death in the family; a Paramount representative said he’s at a funeral. The hearing, chaired by Sen. Cory Booker, will proceed with other witnesses, and Booker has asked for Ellison’s written testimony. Ellison has previously declined to testify, and the merger remains under review by regulators, with Hollywood signatories opposing the deal.

via Variety|

#business #death-in-family #ellison

entertainment2 months ago•7 min saved

Trump and Ellison Dragged Into Paramount-WBD Drama in Jeff Shell Case

New court filings in RJ Cipriani’s lawsuit against Paramount’s Jeff Shell allege secret talks between Donald Trump and Larry Ellison about Paramount’s bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, with Shell allegedly relaying Trump’s assurances to Ellison; Cipriani’s suit, now naming Ellison and his son David, claims high‑level executives discussed seven‑figure settlements, while Shell countersues for extortion and a separate probe reviews texts connected to South Park streaming rights and UFC deals.

via Page Six|

#donald-trump #ellison #entertainment

business2 months ago•18 min saved

Ellison Sets Ambitious Tone Amid Turbulent Warner Meeting

Paramount CEO David Ellison addressed Warner Bros. Discovery leaders about a $111 billion merger, outlining a plan for a unified company with more content, a single streaming platform, and 30+ theatrical releases per year, while acknowledging the deal has been turbulent; attendees noted mixed reactions and a lack of concrete timelines, fueling ongoing uncertainty about layoffs and strategy, though he stressed editorial independence for CNN and CBS News.

via The Hollywood Reporter|

#acquisition #business #ellison

politics2 months ago•3 min saved

Oversight Panel Accuses Minnesota Leaders of Failing to Stop Federal Fraud

A House Oversight Committee interim report alleges that Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison knew for years about widespread fraud in federally funded Minnesota social services, failed to suspend payments despite authority, and allowed hundreds of millions to billions of dollars to flow to fraudulent actors, with whistleblowers sidelined and investigations ongoing.

via House.gov|

#ellison #fraud #minnesota

politics2 months ago•7 min saved

Capitol Hill confronts Minnesota fraud probe as Walz and Ellison testify

The House Oversight Committee revisits Minnesota’s welfare‑fraud saga, with Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison testifying as Republicans allege they knew of fraud years ago and did not act, potentially costing taxpayers billions; Walz and Ellison defend their actions amid ongoing investigations, whistleblower protections, and a broader funding dispute with the federal government.

via CNN|

#ellison #fraud #house-oversight

business3 months ago•7 min saved

Ellison's High-Stakes Bid: Skydance Eyes Warner Bros. Takeover

Paramount Skydance chief David Ellison has pressed a high-stakes bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, including a hostile tender offer and talks with Netflix; while Skydance’s box-office legacy is anchored by Tom Cruise-led franchises, many films carry big budgets with uneven profitability, making a WBD takeover a potentially transformative move for both studios.

via CNBC|

#box-office #business #ellison

business3 months ago•17 min saved

Paramount Adds Fees and Cash Backing to Bid for Warner Bros. Discovery

Paramount sweetens its bid for Warner Bros. Discovery by adding a quarterly ticking fee of $0.25 per WBD share if the deal isn’t closed by December 31, 2026 (about $650 million per quarter) and by funding a $2.8 billion termination fee to Netflix, plus financing concessions. The amended offer is fully financed with roughly $43.6 billion in equity from the Ellison family and RedBird Capital Partners and $54 billion of debt from major banks, backed by Larry Ellison’s personal guarantee of $43.3 billion. Paramount would reimburse WBD shareholders’ $1.5 billion financing cost and backstop an exchange offer to relieve WBD’s bondholder obligations, while offering flexibility between signing and closing and potential contractual tweaks if WBD’s performance worsens. WBD is pursuing its own Netflix-backed plan to spin off assets and remains resistant, making for a prolonged battle.

via Deadline|

#business #ellison #mergers-and-acquisitions

business3 months ago•16 min saved

Ellison Promises Anti-Monopoly Approach in Paramount‑WBD Bid

Paramount chairman and CEO David Ellison sent an open letter outlining an anti-monopoly, competition-forward stance as part of his $108.4 billion hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery. He pledges the combined entity would produce at least 30 theatrical features annually (15 from Paramount Skydance and 15 from Warner Bros. Studios), keep HBO independent, and maintain long theatrical windows (a minimum 45 days before PVOD, with 60–90 days for top titles), while continuing to license content and acquire third‑party material. Ellison argues the deal would strengthen competition against Netflix amid U.S. and EU regulatory scrutiny.

via Variety|

#business #competition #ellison