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Paramount Skydance

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business12 hours ago•7 min saved

Merging in Limbo: WBD-Paramount Skydance Deal Delayed, Casting Uncertainty

Warner Bros. Discovery’s planned $110 billion sale to Paramount Skydance is stalled amid antitrust scrutiny and unsettled regulatory talks, forcing WBD to run largely as an independent company under interim covenants while exploring licensing deals and potential asset sales—options that could reshape HBO Max, its film and TV assets, and its position against Netflix, Disney and Amazon if the deal drags on or falls through.

via CNBC|

#antitrust #business #merger-delay

business2 days ago•3 min saved

Ruffalo slams Skydance-WBD merger, flags Oracle links in the deal

Mark Ruffalo accused Paramount Skydance of financing its $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery through Larry Ellison’s Oracle and warned that the resulting tech integration could threaten consumers and jobs. Paramount denounced his remarks as antisemitic tropes, while Ruffalo said his critique targets corporate actions, not Jewish people. The merger remains paused amid an antitrust lawsuit, with potential penalties of about $7 million per day if it fails to close by Sept. 30. If completed, the deal would fold HBO and CNN under Paramount, amplifying media consolidation. The Simon Wiesenthal Center supported Paramount’s stance against prejudice, and Oracle did not comment.

via The Guardian|

#antitrust #business #mark-ruffalo

business2 days ago•8 min saved

Paramount-Warner Merger Goes to Mediation as Antitrust Fight Intensifies

California’s antitrust suit against Paramount Skydance’s Warner Bros. merger heads to court-ordered mediation this week, with the state demanding robust structural concessions to settle. The dispute has grown more heated as Paramount accuses Mark Ruffalo of injecting antisemitic tropes into opposition to the deal, prompting defense from Jewish organizations and fueling a broader public feud amid talks of possible headquarters moves.

via Los Angeles Times|

#antitrust #business #mark-ruffalo

business3 days ago•4 min saved

Ruffalo rejects antisemitism label over Paramount‑Skydance merger critique

Actor Mark Ruffalo defends his critique of Paramount‑Skydance, insisting his posts about the merger and Oracle’s ties aren’t anti‑Jewish and that criticizing actions by executives and companies is not the same as targeting Jewish people; Paramount says using genocide or apartheid language in a business dispute crosses a line. The merger remains paused amid an antitrust suit by state attorneys general; Ruffalo argues the deal could concentrate control over CNN, HBO, and Warner Bros., threatening jobs and editorial freedom, and points to Oracle’s role via Safra Catz and Larry Ellison as part of his concerns.

via NBC News|

#antisemitism #business #mark-ruffalo

business7 days ago•20 min saved

LA County Warns Paramount-Warner Merger Could Cost Billions in Local Economic Value

LA County’s study projects that Paramount Skydance’s merger with Warner Bros. Discovery could erase about $2.78B in local economic value, $1.26B in wages, and $4.06B in lost business output, with roughly 10,365 job-years at risk (4,500 direct, 2,661 indirect, 3,204 induced) and a $547M drop in tax revenue. It warns consolidation could shrink film/TV production and hurt workers, even as executives argue the merger would unlock more production in the long term.

via The Hollywood Reporter|

#business #economic-impact #los-angeles-county

business8 days ago•17 min saved

Cinemark Backs Paramount-Warner Discovery Merger, Joining Theaters in Support

Cinemark endorsed the Paramount-Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery merger, joining AMC Theatres and Regal Cinemas in backing the $111 billion deal. The studio-exhibitor alignment hinges on written commitments to boost releases (about 30 per year) and preserve theatrical windows (at least 45 days). Cinema United remains opposed, while Paramount’s Ellison has tied support to these pledges and warned he could relocate Paramount out of California if antitrust talks falter amid a 12-state lawsuit blocking the takeover. The backdrop is a healthy box office this summer, adding pressure to resolve the merger.

via Variety|

#business #cinemark #exhibition-industry

media8 days ago•99 min saved

Abby Phillip Inked a CNN Deal as Skydance-WBD Merger Looms

Primetime CNN host Abby Phillip signed a new contract with CNN as Paramount Skydance’s planned $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery stalls amid an antitrust lawsuit; the deal reportedly includes protections in case CNN’s schedule is overhauled by a future owner, with Anderson Cooper and Kaitlan Collins also under deals. Phillip, 37, is pregnant with her second child, and CNN declined to comment.

via The Daily Beast|

#abby-phillip #antitrust #cnn

business8 days ago•18 min saved

Paramount Demands $1.88B Bond in WBD Merger Antitrust Case

Paramount Skydance is pushing for states suing to block its $111 billion Warner Bros. Discovery merger to post a nearly $1.9 billion bond, arguing federal law requires compensation for potential damages from delaying the deal, as regulators have cleared the merger and the states’ suit remains the hurdle.

via The Hollywood Reporter|

#antitrust #bond #business

business9 days ago•2 min saved

Markets price a 3-in-4 chance PSKY closes WBD deal by 2027 amid lawsuit

Prediction markets Kalshi and Polymarket assign roughly a 74% chance Paramount Skydance will acquire Warner Bros. Discovery by July 2027, down from above 80% before a states’ lawsuit and below the ~66% level after Paramount delayed the deal. Polymarket shows about a 23% chance no deal by June 2027. A federal trial is set for March 2027, with potential extension to June 2027 if regulatory hurdles remain. If the deal isn’t closed by Sept. 30, Paramount owes Warner Bros. shareholders 25 cents per share per quarter until closing. Unions urged faster resolution, and CNBC notes a disclosed relationship with Kalshi.

via CNBC|

#business #kalshi #paramount-skydance

business12 days ago•22 min saved

Ellison Bets CNN Sale to Rescue a $111B Deal, But Antitrust Case Remains

Paramount Skydance’s $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery — which would place CNN under WBD’s umbrella — is facing an antitrust lawsuit over market concentration in film distribution and basic cable. Paramount reportedly floated selling CNN to appease critics, but observers say such a divestiture would not end the lawsuit. A ticking fee of about $7 million per day accrues if the deal misses the Sept. 30 deadline, and if not closed by June 4, 2027, a $7 billion breakup fee applies. CEO David Ellison has even signaled relocating Paramount out of California if the settlement isn’t reached, underscoring the political and legal pressure surrounding the deal.

via Yahoo Finance|

#antitrust #business #cnn

business13 days ago•380 min saved

Hollywood on edge as Ellison hints Paramount could relocate to seal massive deal

Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison signaled he is willing to move Paramount out of California to close his $110 billion bid to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, a move insiders say would be highly complex with potentially sweeping consequences for Hollywood's production, jobs, and economics; opponents have labeled it blackmail, underscoring the high-stakes disruption tied to one of entertainment’s biggest-ever deals.

via NBC News|

#business #california-relocation #david-ellison

business15 days ago•15 min saved

WGA Says Ellison Exit Threat Shows Why Paramount-WBD Deal Must Be Blocked

The Writers Guild of America condemned David Ellison’s threat to pull Paramount out of California over the antitrust suit connected to the Paramount-WBD merger, saying the move underscores the studio’s outsized power and argues the deal should be blocked. Ellison warned of leaving on Oct. 1 to avoid a $7 million-per-day ticking fee, while California AG Rob Bonta labeled the threat blackmail as the WGA pursues its own merger lawsuit with a federal trial set for March 2027.

via Deadline|

#antitrust #business #david-ellison

business17 days ago•5 min saved

Center-leaning Merger Faces Antitrust Fire

An opinion piece argues that Paramount Skydance's planned merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, pitched by David Ellison as a centrist antidote to woke bias, is being challenged by a dozen Democratic state attorneys general on antitrust grounds. The author contends the suit is politically motivated rather than consumer-protection driven, notes the court has rejected claims of yield-enhancing efficiencies, and argues the deal could actually spur competition with Netflix. The piece claims the real motive is to block Ellison from reshaping CBS News and CNN toward a centrist stance, and it mocks the AGs’ case as economically illiterate while highlighting the ongoing debate over media center-leaning programming.

via New York Post|

#antitrust #business #centrism-in-media

business19 days ago•17 min saved

UK Regulator Clears Paramount-Skydance Mega-Musion While Litigations Loom

Britain’s CMA cleared Paramount Skydance’s $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery on competition grounds, noting the merged distributor would still face rivals like Universal, Disney and Sony as well as a range of streaming and non-SVOD competitors. The deal remains under threat from lawsuits filed by 12 state attorneys general that could block or delay closing, with Paramount agreeing to pause the deal until June 1, 2027 or until those suits are resolved and the CMA’s UK ruling deadline (Aug. 7) passes. The clearance comes amid broader regulatory scrutiny in multiple territories.

via The Hollywood Reporter|

#antitrust #business #media-merger

business19 days ago•17 min saved

WBD Q2: Streaming Growth Fails to Offset Box Office Bombs and Deal Turmoil

Warner Bros. Discovery posted a mixed Q2 2026: streaming revenue rose 9% to $3.1B and total revenue reached $8.717B with net income of $100M, but theatrical revenue plunged 46% year over year as box-office misses like Supergirl and The Bride weighed on the quarter, and advertising declined 22% amid NBA absence. The results emphasize streaming strength amid weak film performance, while the Paramount Skydance takeover drags on with a March 2027 trial and a $7M-per-day ticking fee if closed; Ellison defends CNN’s independence, with no final deal updates in the earnings release.

via hollywoodreporter.com|

#box-office #business #earnings