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The proposed $111 billion merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery hit a major roadblock when California’s attorney general and 11 other states sued to stop it, citing antitrust concerns. That move was followed by Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison threatening to take his operations out of California if... show more

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$PSKY CEO David Ellison feels he has no choice but to threaten to move Paramount out of California if the state's attorney general won't negotiate with him on the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, says Puck's Matthew Belloni.

$PSKY CEO David Ellison feels he has no choice but to threaten to move Paramount out of California if the state's attorney general won't negotiate with him on the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, says Puck's Matthew Belloni.

Squawk Box

38,727 views • 9 days ago

The Justice Department has approved the $111 billion mega-merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery. "This has been one of the most shallow and corrupt merger review processes we've ever seen, and it has been marked by Paramount … wooing and capitulating to the Trump administration at every turn," says Craig Aaron, co-CEO of the media advocacy group Free Press.

The Justice Department has approved the $111 billion mega-merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery. "This has been one of the most shallow and corrupt merger review processes we've ever seen, and it has been marked by Paramount … wooing and capitulating to the Trump administration at every turn," says Craig Aaron, co-CEO of the media advocacy group Free Press.

Democracy Now!

18,106 views • 2 months ago

CNN has been sold to MAGA Billionaire. Warner Bro’s Discovery (WBD) has agreed to be acquired by Paramount Skydance in a major deal. The deal would transfer ownership of WBD (including CNN) to Paramount Skydance, led by CEO David Ellison (son of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, a billionaire with close ties to President Trump).

CNN has been sold to MAGA Billionaire. Warner Bro’s Discovery (WBD) has agreed to be acquired by Paramount Skydance in a major deal. The deal would transfer ownership of WBD (including CNN) to Paramount Skydance, led by CEO David Ellison (son of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, a billionaire with close ties to President Trump).

Patricia 🇺🇸

451,695 views • 5 months ago

"Our deal basically provides a significant amount of synergies in sports rights that will be able to protect those linear properties." - Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison on why his hostile takeover offer for Warner Bros. Discovery is superior to the Netflix deal

"Our deal basically provides a significant amount of synergies in sports rights that will be able to protect those linear properties." - Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison on why his hostile takeover offer for Warner Bros. Discovery is superior to the Netflix deal

Awful Announcing

104,810 views • 8 months ago

Netflix has struck a nearly $83 billion deal to acquire Warner Bros., beating out Paramount and Comcast after a bidding war. If finalized, it would unite the world’s largest streamer with one of Hollywood’s oldest studios. The move raises big questions about the future of theatrical releases and serious concerns about market concentration. Geoff Bennett speaks to Matthew Belloni for more.

Netflix has struck a nearly $83 billion deal to acquire Warner Bros., beating out Paramount and Comcast after a bidding war. If finalized, it would unite the world’s largest streamer with one of Hollywood’s oldest studios. The move raises big questions about the future of theatrical releases and serious concerns about market concentration. Geoff Bennett speaks to Matthew Belloni for more.

PBS News

24,144 views • 8 months ago

David Zaslav statement just now: "We are excited about the potential of a combined Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery and can't wait to get started working together telling the stories that move the world."

David Zaslav statement just now: "We are excited about the potential of a combined Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery and can't wait to get started working together telling the stories that move the world."

Brian Stelter

71,832 views • 5 months ago

Javier Bardem reacts to the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger freeze, saying that consolidating Hollywood to "two or three big studios" could worsen job losses in Los Angeles and New York. "I may be wrong, I may be right, but the only thing I want to support is the jobs — and the quality of the jobs." Bardem, along with over 1,400 other Hollywood creatives, signed an open letter opposing the $110 billion merger of Paramount Skydance with Warner Bros. Discovery.

Javier Bardem reacts to the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger freeze, saying that consolidating Hollywood to "two or three big studios" could worsen job losses in Los Angeles and New York. "I may be wrong, I may be right, but the only thing I want to support is the jobs — and the quality of the jobs." Bardem, along with over 1,400 other Hollywood creatives, signed an open letter opposing the $110 billion merger of Paramount Skydance with Warner Bros. Discovery.

Variety

131,707 views • 1 month ago

Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery reportedly signed an agreement Friday on a $110 billion deal, a merger that will make Paramount one of the largest media empires in the world. It happened after a dramatic turn of events and after Netflix walked away from its proposal to buy out Warner Bros. Paramount could now control two key movie studios, multiple streaming platforms, major intellectual property brands, along with television and cable channels, and two of the biggest news operations on television, CBS and CNN. But this isn't a done deal yet, as it is now under investigation and awaiting regulatory approval. Geoff Bennett sat down with Roben Farzad, host of public radio's "Full Disclosure," for more.

Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery reportedly signed an agreement Friday on a $110 billion deal, a merger that will make Paramount one of the largest media empires in the world. It happened after a dramatic turn of events and after Netflix walked away from its proposal to buy out Warner Bros. Paramount could now control two key movie studios, multiple streaming platforms, major intellectual property brands, along with television and cable channels, and two of the biggest news operations on television, CBS and CNN. But this isn't a done deal yet, as it is now under investigation and awaiting regulatory approval. Geoff Bennett sat down with Roben Farzad, host of public radio's "Full Disclosure," for more.

PBS News

12,090 views • 5 months ago

Paramount is engaged in a battle with Netflix to buy Warner Bros. Discovery. Paramount’s most recent bid was rejected in part over financing. On Monday, Larry Ellison, the father of Paramount CEO David Ellison, personally guaranteed $40 billion in an effort to revive that bid. But Netflix’s proposed $83 billion offer is still considered the favorite for now. Talk of this deal has triggered widespread fears in Hollywood about what it could mean for the creative industry. Our senior arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown gets some perspective from one of the leading unions.

Paramount is engaged in a battle with Netflix to buy Warner Bros. Discovery. Paramount’s most recent bid was rejected in part over financing. On Monday, Larry Ellison, the father of Paramount CEO David Ellison, personally guaranteed $40 billion in an effort to revive that bid. But Netflix’s proposed $83 billion offer is still considered the favorite for now. Talk of this deal has triggered widespread fears in Hollywood about what it could mean for the creative industry. Our senior arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown gets some perspective from one of the leading unions.

PBS News

53,283 views • 8 months ago

Puck’s Dylan Byers believes California AG Rob Bonta has a weak case for blocking the $111 billion Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger. Byers says the suit relies on an “archaic” definition of the media market focused on theatrical and cable distribution, rather than the digital platforms actually dominating attention: “David Ellison wants Warner Bros. Discovery to have some semblance of the scale that would be required to compete in a world that is dominated by Netflix, YouTube, TikTok, Apple, Amazon, the list goes on.” “The notion that somehow a combined Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery is going to be this massive, dominant business that is going to corner every aspect of the market...that’s just not real.” “I think Bonta has an uphill climb in that regard. But he can certainly create headaches, and certainly legal fees, for Ellison for many months.”

Puck’s Dylan Byers believes California AG Rob Bonta has a weak case for blocking the $111 billion Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger. Byers says the suit relies on an “archaic” definition of the media market focused on theatrical and cable distribution, rather than the digital platforms actually dominating attention: “David Ellison wants Warner Bros. Discovery to have some semblance of the scale that would be required to compete in a world that is dominated by Netflix, YouTube, TikTok, Apple, Amazon, the list goes on.” “The notion that somehow a combined Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery is going to be this massive, dominant business that is going to corner every aspect of the market...that’s just not real.” “I think Bonta has an uphill climb in that regard. But he can certainly create headaches, and certainly legal fees, for Ellison for many months.”

TBPN

17,357 views • 1 month ago

This weekend several parties are gearing up to bid on Warner Brothers Discovery in a heated auction. This comes a full quarter century since I advised Aol in their $183 billion merger with Time Warner in the largest deal in history in 2000, a deal way ahead of its time and massively financially lopsided (in my client’s favor). Who will win the bidding for Warner Bros. – Comcast, Netflix, Skydance Paramount or a dark horse candidate? My bet is on Paramount because Comcast’s Brian Roberts is economically rational and Netflix doesn’t need it. Plus, Skydance’s David Ellison has both his dad’s cash and connections (Saudi money?) and the right political connections (Trump) to get the deal greenlit. Whoever wins the auction, one thing’s certain: the real winner is David Zaslav who bet big on a high-risk leveraged play when he convinced AT&T to merge Warner Bros. with Discovery in deal at one point had $48 billion of debt – a deal that panned out after all at a time when legacy media is in decline. Very Disco!

This weekend several parties are gearing up to bid on Warner Brothers Discovery in a heated auction. This comes a full quarter century since I advised Aol in their $183 billion merger with Time Warner in the largest deal in history in 2000, a deal way ahead of its time and massively financially lopsided (in my client’s favor). Who will win the bidding for Warner Bros. – Comcast, Netflix, Skydance Paramount or a dark horse candidate? My bet is on Paramount because Comcast’s Brian Roberts is economically rational and Netflix doesn’t need it. Plus, Skydance’s David Ellison has both his dad’s cash and connections (Saudi money?) and the right political connections (Trump) to get the deal greenlit. Whoever wins the auction, one thing’s certain: the real winner is David Zaslav who bet big on a high-risk leveraged play when he convinced AT&T to merge Warner Bros. with Discovery in deal at one point had $48 billion of debt – a deal that panned out after all at a time when legacy media is in decline. Very Disco!

Terence Kawaja

18,250 views • 8 months ago

California Attorney General Rob Bonta tells Scott MacFarlane the proposed merger between Paramount Global and Warner Bros. is under active investigation—and “not a done deal.” Bonta says there are “red flags everywhere,” including concerns about higher prices for consumers, lower wages for workers, and reduced competition across streaming and theatrical markets. The state has not yet decided whether to sue—but says it’s still on the table.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta tells Scott MacFarlane the proposed merger between Paramount Global and Warner Bros. is under active investigation—and “not a done deal.” Bonta says there are “red flags everywhere,” including concerns about higher prices for consumers, lower wages for workers, and reduced competition across streaming and theatrical markets. The state has not yet decided whether to sue—but says it’s still on the table.

MeidasTouch

31,397 views • 4 months ago

For the first time in decades the Democrat Party cares about a monopoly deal California Attorney General joins 11 blue states to sue and block the Paramount Warner Bros merger They are doing this because if the deal goes through, that means CNN would be conservative. That’s the only reason Democrats all the sudden care about a monopoly They couldn’t care less when BlackRock has taken over, nothing about Vanguard or State Street. They don’t care about monopolies controlling every other aspect of our lives, but when it comes to their mainstream media maybe being less bias, all the sudden they care If the merger goes through as proposed, Larry Ellison’s son’s company (Skydance) would gain significant control and influence over CNN This is the ONLY reason democrats all the sudden care about monopolies

For the first time in decades the Democrat Party cares about a monopoly deal California Attorney General joins 11 blue states to sue and block the Paramount Warner Bros merger They are doing this because if the deal goes through, that means CNN would be conservative. That’s the only reason Democrats all the sudden care about a monopoly They couldn’t care less when BlackRock has taken over, nothing about Vanguard or State Street. They don’t care about monopolies controlling every other aspect of our lives, but when it comes to their mainstream media maybe being less bias, all the sudden they care If the merger goes through as proposed, Larry Ellison’s son’s company (Skydance) would gain significant control and influence over CNN This is the ONLY reason democrats all the sudden care about monopolies

Wall Street Apes

123,750 views • 1 month ago

Booker grills Blanche on his shamelessly corrupt involvement in the decision to close an investigation into the proposed Paramount/Discovery merger. Blanche clearly has no defense for his actions, but instead insists that attending a dinner with David Ellison while the merger was still in question didn't actually create an appearance of impropriety

Booker grills Blanche on his shamelessly corrupt involvement in the decision to close an investigation into the proposed Paramount/Discovery merger. Blanche clearly has no defense for his actions, but instead insists that attending a dinner with David Ellison while the merger was still in question didn't actually create an appearance of impropriety

Aaron Rupar

27,055 views • 1 month ago

🇺🇸 JARED KUSHNER’S FIRM PULLS OUT OF WARNER BROS TAKEOVER BATTLE Kushner’s private equity firm, Affinity Partners, has exited the high-stakes effort backing Paramount Skydance’s hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros, signaling a major shift in one of the biggest media fights in years. The firm confirmed it is no longer pursuing the deal, citing rapidly changing dynamics around the bid. Affinity had been part of a deep-pocketed financial group supporting Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison’s unsolicited offer, valued at more than $108 billion, for the entire Warner Bros empire. The withdrawal comes days after Warner Bros. and Netflix announced a separate agreement that would carve out key assets, including HBO, HBO Max, and the Warner Bros film studio, effectively undercutting Paramount’s full-company play. With multiple bidders circling and boardroom resistance growing, the ground shifted fast. Affinity said it still believes there is strategic logic behind Paramount’s bid, but competition and deal structure no longer justified staying in the fight. The fund had been aligned with major international investors, including Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and other Gulf-based backers. Warner Bros. is now widely expected to reject Paramount’s offer, while regulators loom over any potential merger. The media consolidation war isn’t slowing down. It’s just getting sharper. Source: NBC, BloombergTV

🇺🇸 JARED KUSHNER’S FIRM PULLS OUT OF WARNER BROS TAKEOVER BATTLE Kushner’s private equity firm, Affinity Partners, has exited the high-stakes effort backing Paramount Skydance’s hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros, signaling a major shift in one of the biggest media fights in years. The firm confirmed it is no longer pursuing the deal, citing rapidly changing dynamics around the bid. Affinity had been part of a deep-pocketed financial group supporting Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison’s unsolicited offer, valued at more than $108 billion, for the entire Warner Bros empire. The withdrawal comes days after Warner Bros. and Netflix announced a separate agreement that would carve out key assets, including HBO, HBO Max, and the Warner Bros film studio, effectively undercutting Paramount’s full-company play. With multiple bidders circling and boardroom resistance growing, the ground shifted fast. Affinity said it still believes there is strategic logic behind Paramount’s bid, but competition and deal structure no longer justified staying in the fight. The fund had been aligned with major international investors, including Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and other Gulf-based backers. Warner Bros. is now widely expected to reject Paramount’s offer, while regulators loom over any potential merger. The media consolidation war isn’t slowing down. It’s just getting sharper. Source: NBC, BloombergTV

Mario Nawfal

106,308 views • 8 months ago

If Paramount Skydance buys up Warner Bros, many of the shows you watch will all be owned by the same company — and they can jack your prices up. We can't let that happen. We have antitrust laws for a reason, and it's on Donald Trump to enforce them.

If Paramount Skydance buys up Warner Bros, many of the shows you watch will all be owned by the same company — and they can jack your prices up. We can't let that happen. We have antitrust laws for a reason, and it's on Donald Trump to enforce them.

Elizabeth Warren

81,019 views • 10 months ago

The left wing elite are in full panic mode now that Paramount is buying Warner Bros Discover, and with that merger Trump ally Larry Ellison (and his son David) will control the combined media giant. Under the new ownership of Paramount, CBS News and CNN won't be fully controlled by the radical left. The far left wing "reporters" are CNN are in a full blown panic that they will no longer be able to promote their far left agenda. The Democrats were counting on their Obama allies at Netflix to purchase Warner Bros (and CNN). However the Ellison family outbid Netflix with $110 billion. Radical left wing senators like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are trying to claim "national security concerns" to block the merger. In reality, they are terrified at the thought of the left losing their control on the media narrative.

The left wing elite are in full panic mode now that Paramount is buying Warner Bros Discover, and with that merger Trump ally Larry Ellison (and his son David) will control the combined media giant. Under the new ownership of Paramount, CBS News and CNN won't be fully controlled by the radical left. The far left wing "reporters" are CNN are in a full blown panic that they will no longer be able to promote their far left agenda. The Democrats were counting on their Obama allies at Netflix to purchase Warner Bros (and CNN). However the Ellison family outbid Netflix with $110 billion. Radical left wing senators like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are trying to claim "national security concerns" to block the merger. In reality, they are terrified at the thought of the left losing their control on the media narrative.

Wall Street Mav

102,443 views • 4 months ago

"There was a settlement between the president and Paramount for $16 million, then the merger gets approved. This was all very coincidental how quickly all of these things happened. They had to make sure we knew this whole thing came together in 48 hours... A deal like this, $7.7 billion, it doesn't happen in 48 hours." David P. Samson on the construction of the Paramount x UFC deal.

"There was a settlement between the president and Paramount for $16 million, then the merger gets approved. This was all very coincidental how quickly all of these things happened. They had to make sure we knew this whole thing came together in 48 hours... A deal like this, $7.7 billion, it doesn't happen in 48 hours." David P. Samson on the construction of the Paramount x UFC deal.

Ariel Helwani

171,787 views • 1 year ago

Larry Ellison just bet his own company to buy his son a Hollywood empire. And a judge in Oakland could FREEZE the entire thing this afternoon. The deal is Paramount Skydance buying Warner Bros Discovery for about $110 billion, run by David Ellison, Larry's son. It would put two film studios, two streaming platforms, and two news organizations under one family. The problem: Warner's board did not want Paramount. It preferred a Netflix offer and called Paramount's financing illusory. So Larry Ellison put his own money behind his son. He gave an irrevocable guarantee covering $40.4 billion of the equity financing, and promised not to revoke the family trust or move its assets while the deal stayed pending. Paramount then published records to prove the trust holds 1.16 billion Oracle shares. Warner's board reversed and David Ellison won the biggest media merger in Hollywood history using his father's balance sheet as the proof of funds. That was the moment the two companies became one financial object. Because the guarantee is not cash. It is Oracle stock, and Oracle stock has been falling all year... Ellison owns 40.6% of Oracle. The company's crash has erased roughly $213 billion from his fortune and cut the share price by more than half. And Oracle's own filing shows 346 million of his shares were ALREADY pledged against personal debts as of September. He borrowed against the stock, then promised the same stock as backing for a $110 billion acquisition, while the stock was on its way down. Ellison turned Oracle into a hyperscaler by loading it with debt to chase AI data centers. Oracle became a major supplier of AI computing power to China. Job cuts have already been reported. In January, investors who bought $18 billion of Oracle senior notes filed a proposed class action in Manhattan against Ellison, senior executives, and the underwriting banks, over borrowing plans tied to AI that they say were not disclosed. So the debt that built the empire is now being litigated by the people who financed it, while the equity behind the guarantee shrinks. Then the states arrived: On July 13 a coalition of 12 attorneys general led by California sued to block the merger under Section 7 of the Clayton Act. On July 20 Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin issued a 14-day restraining order stopping the deal from closing, writing that the states had shown serious questions going to the merits remain. Paramount says the suit misrepresents competition in an entertainment industry now crowded with streamers. Today at 3pm in Oakland, the same judge hears the states' motion for a preliminary injunction. That is the hearing that matters, because when a judge grants an injunction, companies frequently walk away from the deal rather than fight through a full trial. When a judge denies one, they close within days. Delay is costing Paramount roughly $650 million a quarter, and the company has agreed to keep the deal open as late as June 1, 2027. So one family is holding a $110 billion acquisition open for possibly another 10 months, backed by shares in a company that is spending borrowed money faster than the AI revenue arrives. Larry Ellison spent his career selling databases to governments and betting the company on the next platform shift. He has been right almost every time. This time he pledged the proof of his own success to buy his son a studio, and a courtroom in Oakland decides if it freezes everything or not.

Larry Ellison just bet his own company to buy his son a Hollywood empire. And a judge in Oakland could FREEZE the entire thing this afternoon. The deal is Paramount Skydance buying Warner Bros Discovery for about $110 billion, run by David Ellison, Larry's son. It would put two film studios, two streaming platforms, and two news organizations under one family. The problem: Warner's board did not want Paramount. It preferred a Netflix offer and called Paramount's financing illusory. So Larry Ellison put his own money behind his son. He gave an irrevocable guarantee covering $40.4 billion of the equity financing, and promised not to revoke the family trust or move its assets while the deal stayed pending. Paramount then published records to prove the trust holds 1.16 billion Oracle shares. Warner's board reversed and David Ellison won the biggest media merger in Hollywood history using his father's balance sheet as the proof of funds. That was the moment the two companies became one financial object. Because the guarantee is not cash. It is Oracle stock, and Oracle stock has been falling all year... Ellison owns 40.6% of Oracle. The company's crash has erased roughly $213 billion from his fortune and cut the share price by more than half. And Oracle's own filing shows 346 million of his shares were ALREADY pledged against personal debts as of September. He borrowed against the stock, then promised the same stock as backing for a $110 billion acquisition, while the stock was on its way down. Ellison turned Oracle into a hyperscaler by loading it with debt to chase AI data centers. Oracle became a major supplier of AI computing power to China. Job cuts have already been reported. In January, investors who bought $18 billion of Oracle senior notes filed a proposed class action in Manhattan against Ellison, senior executives, and the underwriting banks, over borrowing plans tied to AI that they say were not disclosed. So the debt that built the empire is now being litigated by the people who financed it, while the equity behind the guarantee shrinks. Then the states arrived: On July 13 a coalition of 12 attorneys general led by California sued to block the merger under Section 7 of the Clayton Act. On July 20 Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin issued a 14-day restraining order stopping the deal from closing, writing that the states had shown serious questions going to the merits remain. Paramount says the suit misrepresents competition in an entertainment industry now crowded with streamers. Today at 3pm in Oakland, the same judge hears the states' motion for a preliminary injunction. That is the hearing that matters, because when a judge grants an injunction, companies frequently walk away from the deal rather than fight through a full trial. When a judge denies one, they close within days. Delay is costing Paramount roughly $650 million a quarter, and the company has agreed to keep the deal open as late as June 1, 2027. So one family is holding a $110 billion acquisition open for possibly another 10 months, backed by shares in a company that is spending borrowed money faster than the AI revenue arrives. Larry Ellison spent his career selling databases to governments and betting the company on the next platform shift. He has been right almost every time. This time he pledged the proof of his own success to buy his son a studio, and a courtroom in Oakland decides if it freezes everything or not.

Ricardo

73,368 views • 20 days ago

Jim Acosta: Here is the breaking news. The news is broken. We may not be able to put the pieces back together again if the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger goes through and puts my former employer, CNN, under the control of the Ellison family. Trump has cracked the code on how to hurt the press in America. The news does not belong to the oligarchs. It belongs to us.

Jim Acosta: Here is the breaking news. The news is broken. We may not be able to put the pieces back together again if the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger goes through and puts my former employer, CNN, under the control of the Ellison family. Trump has cracked the code on how to hurt the press in America. The news does not belong to the oligarchs. It belongs to us.

Headquarters

386,324 views • 4 months ago