All articles tagged with #manda
Variety's 2026 Legal Impact Report spotlights Hollywood’s top entertainment lawyers steering AI-driven IP deals, licensing, and cross-border transactions as the industry grapples with consolidation and the creator economy, highlighting cross-disciplinary teams at major firms and boutiques navigating talent, studios, and tech deals amid rapid change.
Danone is paying €1bn for British meal-supplement maker Huel to scale its nutritionally complete, plant-based shakes and meals across new markets; founded in 2014, Huel sells direct-to-consumer products and has faced past advertising scrutiny. The deal, which also taps into a roughly $5.9bn market for complete-nutrition products, awaits regulatory approvals and closing conditions, with Danone highlighting Huel’s digital capabilities and distribution network as key assets.
Private equity firm KKR is weighing the sale of a data-centre cooling company in a multibillion-dollar deal, underscoring ongoing activity in data-centre infrastructure M&A.
Accenture agreed to acquire Ookla (owner of Speedtest, Downdetector, RootMetrics, and Ekahau) from Ziff Davis for $1.2 billion in cash, with plans to embed Ookla’s data into offerings for telecoms, hyperscalers, and governments to optimize Wi‑Fi and 5G, enhance AI infrastructure resilience, improve fraud prevention, and enable analytics. Ookla reports ~250 million tests per month, ~430 employees, and 2025 revenue of $230.7 million with net income of $76.1 million. The deal is expected to close in coming months, with Accenture continuing to operate Ookla’s business as is.
OpenAI is pursuing roughly $100 billion in new financing to fuel acquisitions and attract talent, potentially using stock to buy startups like Io Products; the pre-money valuation could exceed $730 billion, underscoring an aggressive expansion in AI.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said the company’s sale process is rigorous, highly competitive and thorough, with four bidders, eight price increases and a 63% value uplift from the initial offer. Comcast was a bidder but did not advance; Paramount’s improved bid and Netflix are in play as the board weighs options to maximize value and certainty. Zaslav also touted a “creative resurgence” across HBO, Warner Bros. TV/Movies, New Line and DC, amid ongoing corporate reorganization and the planned separation of Warner Bros. and Discovery Global.
Warner Bros. Discovery executives used a Q4 call to tout a robust film slate, a reset year for gaming, and a planned Discovery Global spin-off, while ducking questions about Netflix/Paramount Skydance bids. CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels defended a sustainable 3.3x debt-to-EBITDA target as the company weighs strategic options, including a potential spinoff funded by its debt load. Executives also highlighted long-term content plans, such as a Harry Potter TV slate, and teased upcoming titles and games that could shape the company’s trajectory beyond the near term.
Warner Bros. Discovery's board is expected to take Paramount Skydance's new bid under review while continuing to back Netflix's agreement to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery's studios and streaming unit; Netflix has a four‑day window to match Paramount's offer. The terms of the updated Paramount proposal were not disclosed, and WBD has previously rebuffed Paramount nine times, seeking clarity on a bid that could price shares above $31. Netflix's deal values WBD at about $83 billion, with Paramount's bid for the entire company reportedly near $108 billion. If Paramount's bid proceeds, Netflix would still acquire the studios and streaming assets under the current terms, while WBD shareholders would retain an equity stake in Discovery Global; financing for Paramount's bid includes major banks and investors. Netflix's Ted Sarandos has indicated willingness to walk away if the price overpays.
PayPal is drawing preliminary takeover interest from potential buyers after a slide in its shares, with Bloomberg noting some suitors are exploring the whole company while others are eyeing specific assets. A deal is not guaranteed. The company—worth over $38 billion—has seen leadership changes and warned of slower growth amid competition from Big Tech and weaker retail spending, with its stock up about 7% on the Bloomberg report.
Danaher is closing in on a roughly $10 billion deal to acquire Masimo, a leading medical-device maker, signaling a major expansion of its health-technology portfolio.
GameStop shares rose in premarket trading after CEO Ryan Cohen’s media blitz suggesting a major acquisition, with CNBC/WSJ reports that he’s aiming to buy a much larger company and could push GameStop’s value toward hundreds of billions. Cohen’s pay is tied to hitting a $20 billion market cap and $2 billion in cumulative EBITDA from Q1 2026 onward, thresholds last exceeded during the 2021 meme surge. A Fox Business interview was canceled as Cohen works on a “monumental” plan, and investors are weighing potential targets touted by Michael Burry.
Kraft Heinz plans to split into two separately traded companies, undoing its 2015 megamerger, while Kellogg’s split into Kellanova and WK Kellogg has preceded a wave of divestitures in the sector. With slowing demand, price pressure, and tighter regulation, consumer-packaged goods giants are shedding underperforming brands and refocusing on core assets. Bain projects about 42% of consumer-products M&A in the coming years will involve asset sales, and smaller deals with insurgent brands or private-labels are rising as the industry rethinks growth strategies. Berkshire Hathaway is reportedly considering exiting its Kraft Heinz stake, and the trend mirrors shifts seen in other industries and media, signaling a leaner, more modular Big Food landscape.
CVC agreed to acquire Marathon Asset Management for up to $1.2 billion in a cash-and-equity deal to expand its US credit capabilities and broaden its multi-asset credit platform. The base consideration is $400 million in cash and up to 45 million SubCo Units exchangeable for CVC shares, plus up to $800 million in CVC equity, with earn-outs of up to $200 million cash and $200 million in SubCo Units. Marathon’s minority partner will receive $280 million in cash. The deal is expected to close in Q3 2026 and be EPS neutral in 2027 and accretive from 2028. Marathon will be rebranded CVC-Marathon, with co-heads Bruce Richards and Lou Hanover leading the combined credit business. Post-close, CVC’s Fee-Paying AUM is targeted at about €61 billion, supporting plans to reach €200 billion by 2028 across Private and Public Credit and multiple client channels.
Netflix updates its offer for Warner Bros Discovery's streaming and film assets to an all-cash bid of $27.75 per share (~$72 billion equity, ~$82 billion enterprise), aiming to give shareholders certainty and speed up approvals while Paramount Skydance continues pursuing a competing bid. Warner Bros’ board supports the cash deal and will spin off CNN and other assets; Netflix argues the combination enhances its library (including Harry Potter and Game of Thrones) and HBO Max, with continued US production investment. Netflix also reported quarterly growth in revenue and subscribers, though its stock dipped after the news.
Netflix amended its deal for Warner Bros. Discovery to an all-cash offer of $27.75 per share for the company’s movie studio and streaming assets, with CNN channels moving to Discovery Global. Financed by cash on hand, credit facilities, and committed financing, the change aims to simplify the structure and accelerate a stockholder vote in the spring, in a bid to deter Paramount’s hostile takeover. Paramount has sued for valuation details, while Warner Bros. Discovery’s board says cash improves certainty for shareholders.