Paramount Exploring Acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery
According to CinemaDrame News Agency, Paramount is considering acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery only a short time after finalizing its merger with Skydance. Skydance Media completed its high-profile deal with Paramount Global in August.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Paramount, backed by the Ellison family, is preparing to make an offer for Warner Bros. Discovery. Larry Ellison, chairman and co-founder of Oracle and one of the world’s wealthiest individuals, spearheaded the $8.4 billion Skydance–Paramount merger led by his son, David Ellison.
A source close to Paramount told Deadline: “Ellison has had his eye on Warner Bros. for some time. This isn’t new—he’s simply taking a closer look now and weighing the pros and cons.”
This week, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav confirmed that Warner Bros. and Discovery Global will separate again in April. A merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Skydance would not require approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as neither company owns nationwide broadcast networks. By contrast, Skydance needed FCC approval when acquiring Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS.
However, Paramount may face scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice, which could challenge the deal over antitrust concerns. Former President Donald Trump has a history of supporting the Ellison family, but Warner Bros. Discovery owns CNN, a network often more critical of him than CBS.
