David Ellison extends deadline for Warner Bros. Discovery takeover offer


Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison is apparently still hopeful that investors will approve his $108.4 billion hostile takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. Paramount Skydance announced Thursday that it’s extending its all-cash offer to acquire the storied studio, and giving investors until February 20, 2026 to accept. The company’s previous offer expired on January 21, but with a lawsuit in the works and a revised Netflix deal to compete with, Paramount Skydance wants to stay in the conversation.

Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery originally announced their $82.7 billion acquisition agreement in December 2025. Netflix’s deal is for a significant portion, but notably not all, of Warner Bros. Discovery as it exists today. If approved, the streaming service would acquire Warner Bros. film studios, New Line Cinema, HBO, HBO Max, the company’s theme parks, game studios and select linear channels like TNT, but not the collection of reality TV and news programming that Warner Bros. Discovery calls “Global Networks.”

Paramount Skydance made its competing offer of $108.4 billion for all of Warner Bros. Discovery a few days later in December, with the recommendation that shareholders reject the Netflix deal. To add pressure, Paramount Skydance also sued Warner Bros. Discovery in January alleging that the company had not provided adequate information about why it favored Netflix over Paramount. Beyond offering more money, Paramount contends its deal is more likely to be approved by regulators because owning Warner Bros. doesn’t “entrench Netflix’s market dominance.” Warner Bros. Discovery claims that funding for Paramount’s deal “remains inadequate” and that the company is uncertain Paramount Skydance will actually be able to complete the deal.

David Ellison was previously able to merge Skydance with Paramount using the financial backing of his billionaire father Larry Ellison, and the Ellison family’s friendly relationship with the Trump administration. Promising to make sure that CBS News represents “a diversity of viewpoints” via a newly appointed ombudsman, and that the merged Paramount Skydance won’t create any diversity, equity and inclusion programs was enough to get the FCC to approve the merger. Ellison might have thought acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery would be equally easy, but at least so far that hasn’t worked out as planned.



Source link

  • Related Posts

    Uber wants to turn its millions of drivers into a sensor grid for self-driving companies

    Uber has a long-term ambition that goes well beyond shuttling passengers: the company eventually wants to outfit its human drivers’ cars with sensors to soak up real-world data for autonomous…

    Nissan Abandons Plans For US EV Plant

    Nissan Nissan has abandoned a $500 million plan to build all-electric vehicles at its Canton, Mississippi assembly plant, the company said in…

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Missed

    What to know about Spirit Airlines amid reports airline preparing to cease operations

    What to know about Spirit Airlines amid reports airline preparing to cease operations

    Mexican Governor Accused by U.S. of Aiding Drug Cartel Steps Down

    Mexican Governor Accused by U.S. of Aiding Drug Cartel Steps Down

    ‘There is real danger’: landline phone users voice fears over digital switchover | Consumer affairs

    ‘There is real danger’: landline phone users voice fears over digital switchover | Consumer affairs

    Uber wants to turn its millions of drivers into a sensor grid for self-driving companies

    Uber wants to turn its millions of drivers into a sensor grid for self-driving companies

    LeBron James stars as LA Lakers beat Houston Rockets to set up Oklahoma City Thunder showdown

    LeBron James stars as LA Lakers beat Houston Rockets to set up Oklahoma City Thunder showdown

    Backgrounder – Government of Canada announces allocation of $123 million for projects to support Haiti