NYTIMES (Sharon Waxman) - David Zaslav Ate Hollywood
As the sale of Warner Bros. Discovery to Paramount Skydance hurtles toward board approval, David Zaslav is about to be more than an accidental mogul.
WASHINGTONPOST (Scott Nover, Liam Scott) - What the looming sale of CNN means for Trump’s feud with the network
Animosity from the White House has taken on new meaning amid an imminent sale to David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance, fueling anxiety among journalists.
AXIOS (Alex Isenstadt) - White House outraged over new CBS News hire
White House officials are outraged over CBS' hiring of Jeremy Adler, a communications executive who previously worked for former Rep. Liz Cheney. - Adler will join CBS News' communications team, according to two people familiar with the move. Why it matters: Cheney was one of President Trump's biggest foils during his first term, after which she led the House's probe into the Jan. 6 Capitol siege. What they're saying: "The idea CBS would hire Liz Cheney's flack who has worked to jail President Trump and make it impossible for anybody who supported the president to get hired is insanity. What the hell is Bari Weiss thinking?" a White House official tells Axios. - CBS did not comment. Zoom out: The hiring adds to existing tensions between…
White House officials are outraged over CBS' hiring of Jeremy Adler, a communications executive who previously worked for former Rep. Liz Cheney. - Adler will join CBS News' communications team, according to two people familiar with the move. Why it matters: Cheney was one of President Trump's biggest foils during his first term, after which she led the House's probe into the Jan. 6 Capitol siege. What they're saying: "The idea CBS would hire Liz Cheney's flack who has worked to jail President Trump and make it impossible for anybody who supported the president to get hired is insanity. What the hell is Bari Weiss thinking?" a White House official tells Axios. - CBS did not comment. Zoom out: The hiring adds to existing tensions between…Open
AXIOS (Sara Fischer) - Scoop: The White House meeting that never was
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos never met with President Trump or any White House officials last week when he visited Washington, according to sources familiar with the engagement. - Sarandos was informed shortly after arriving at the White House that his meeting was canceled because of a last-minute scheduling conflict, and then he promptly left the building. Why it matters: Media onlookers were quick to speculate that Sarandos' meeting at the White House on Thursday prompted Netflix to drop out of the bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery. - But Netflix had already determined at that point that it wouldn't up its bid, Sarandos told Bloomberg. - Trump talked to Sarandos on the phone later that evening after Netflix had already announced…
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos never met with President Trump or any White House officials last week when he visited Washington, according to sources familiar with the engagement. - Sarandos was informed shortly after arriving at the White House that his meeting was canceled because of a last-minute scheduling conflict, and then he promptly left the building. Why it matters: Media onlookers were quick to speculate that Sarandos' meeting at the White House on Thursday prompted Netflix to drop out of the bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery. - But Netflix had already determined at that point that it wouldn't up its bid, Sarandos told Bloomberg. - Trump talked to Sarandos on the phone later that evening after Netflix had already announced…Open
THENATIONALPULSE (Pulse Wires) - Paramount Skydance Eyes Merger with HBO Max.
PULSE POINTSWHAT HAPPENED: Paramount Skydance announced plans to merge Paramount+ and HBO Max into a single streaming service following its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.WHO WAS INVOLVED: Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Netflix (which withdrew from the bidding war).WHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made during an investor call on Monday, […] The post Paramount Skydance Eyes Merger with HBO Max. appeared first on The National Pulse .
PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: Paramount Skydance announced plans to merge Paramount+ and HBO Max into a single streaming service following its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. WHO WAS INVOLVED: Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Netflix (which withdrew from the bidding war ). WHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made during an investor call on Monday, days after Warner signed the acquisition agreement. KEY QUOTE: “We think the combined offering…really will put us in a position to be able to compete with the most scaled players,” said David Ellison. IMPACT: The merger could reshape the streaming landscape, with the Ellison family also pledging to roll out an aggressive Hollywood cinematic release…Open
HUFFPOST - Paramount Faces Regulatory Hurdle After Winning Warner Bros Battle
Paramount's merger with Warner Bros would unite two major Hollywood studios, two streaming platforms and two news operations.
Paramount's merger with Warner Bros would unite two major Hollywood studios, two streaming platforms and two news operations.Open
NEWSNATIONNOW (WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS, Associated Press) - Netflix walks away from Warner Bros deal, clearing the path for Paramount
NEW YORK (AP) — Netflix is walking away from its offer to buy Warner Bros. Discovery’s studio and streaming business, in a stunning move that effectively puts Paramount in a position to take over its storied Hollywood rival. On Thursday, Warner’s board announced that Skydance-owned Paramount’s latest offer to buy the entire company for $31 [...]
AXIOS (Sara Fischer) - Hollywood's mega-merger battle ends with Warner Bros. as the real winner
Data: Financial Modeling Prep ; Chart: Axios Visuals In repeatedly rebuffing takeover offers from Paramount Skydance, Warner Bros. Discovery's board managed to create one of Hollywood's most dramatic and lucrative bidding wars, ultimately elevating the company's stock price and leading to a $31-a-share deal with Paramount. Why it matters: If the deal ultimately gets approved by regulators and goes through, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav will have cemented his legacy as one of the savviest media dealmakers of all time. - It wasn't long ago that Zaslav, one of Hollywood's highest-paid executives, was facing grim prospects as his company struggled to convince Wall Street that its streaming strategy could compete with behemoths like…
Data: Financial Modeling Prep ; Chart: Axios Visuals In repeatedly rebuffing takeover offers from Paramount Skydance, Warner Bros. Discovery's board managed to create one of Hollywood's most dramatic and lucrative bidding wars, ultimately elevating the company's stock price and leading to a $31-a-share deal with Paramount. Why it matters: If the deal ultimately gets approved by regulators and goes through, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav will have cemented his legacy as one of the savviest media dealmakers of all time. - It wasn't long ago that Zaslav, one of Hollywood's highest-paid executives, was facing grim prospects as his company struggled to convince Wall Street that its streaming strategy could compete with behemoths like…Open
AXIOS (Christine Wang) - Netflix says it won't raise bid for Warner Bros.
Netflix said Thursday that it won't raise its bid for Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming and studio assets, allowing Paramount Skydance to emerge as the winning bidder. Why it matters: The statement came shortly after WBD's board announced that Paramount's revised bid of $31 per share was superior to its deal with Netflix. What they're saying: Netflix co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters said in a statement that their deal "would have created shareholder value with a clear path to regulatory approval." - "However, we've always been disciplined, and at the price required to match Paramount Skydance's latest offer, the deal is no longer financially attractive, so we are declining to match the Paramount Skydance bid." - They thanked WBD…
Netflix said Thursday that it won't raise its bid for Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming and studio assets, allowing Paramount Skydance to emerge as the winning bidder. Why it matters: The statement came shortly after WBD's board announced that Paramount's revised bid of $31 per share was superior to its deal with Netflix. What they're saying: Netflix co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters said in a statement that their deal "would have created shareholder value with a clear path to regulatory approval." - "However, we've always been disciplined, and at the price required to match Paramount Skydance's latest offer, the deal is no longer financially attractive, so we are declining to match the Paramount Skydance bid." - They thanked WBD…Open
NYTIMES (Lauren Hirsch, Michael M. Grynbaum and Benjamin Mullin) - Netflix Backs Out of Bid for Warner Bros., Paving Way for an Ellison Takeover
The move was a stunning development in the long-running corporate battle for the storied media giant.