Paramount expands offer for Warner Bros amid hostile takeover bid

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Paramount Makes Sweetheart Deal to Woo Warner Bros Discovery Amid Hostile Takeover Bid

In a bid to win over Warner Bros Discovery, parent company CBS has ramped up its offer for the studio and streaming assets, including a sweetener of $650 million in quarterly "ticking fees" between 2027 and the deal's closure. The additional payment is part of Paramount's latest effort to persuade HBO parent Warner Bros Discovery to reject Netflix's hostile takeover bid.

Paramount Skydance has stuck with its original offer of $30 per share, or $108.4 billion including debt for the entire company, but is willing to throw in more cash to secure the deal. However, analysts claim that this move won't be enough to change Warner Bros Discovery's mind. "The sweetened deal is unlikely to sway WBD away from Netflix and toward Paramount," said Ross Benes of Emarketer.

Conflict-of-interest concerns surrounding Paramount's ties to US President Donald Trump have long been a point of contention, with some questioning the company's commitment to journalism after appointing conservative opinion writer Bari Weiss as lead editor at CBS. The acquisition could potentially harm Warner Bros Discovery in the long term, according to press freedom experts who warn that CNN would be sold to a parent company with a history of selling out journalism.

The deal has drawn scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. While Democrats have raised concerns about political bias in the Paramount Skydance deal, Republicans have accused Netflix of being biased against conservative views. "Netflix has no political agenda of any kind," co-CEO Ted Sarandos responded to questioning at a Senate hearing.

The fate of Warner Bros Discovery and its assets hangs in the balance as both Paramount Skydance and Netflix continue to vie for control. If successful, the deal would make Netflix the world's largest streaming platform with roughly half a billion subscribers.

 

[Nutty Newt]

im not surprised tbh about wbd rejecting netflixs offer they should think twice before going through with it tho, $108b is a lot of cash and it could change their whole business model i mean, have you seen the state of the media industry lately? it's getting more confusing by the day

 

[Inexpen]

this takeover bid is getting messy i think paramount should focus on creating more content that people will love instead of just throwing money at warner Bros discovery news outlets are already struggling to stay afloat so selling them off is not the answer it's all about making money and i'm just here for the popcorn

 

[Expensive Ee]

I mean, come on Paramount thinks throwing in some extra cash is gonna convince Warner Bros Discovery to ditch Netflix? Please, it's like throwing money out the window . I guess they're trying to butter up WBD with those $650 mil quarterly "ticking fees" . But let's be real, we all know how this story ends . It's gonna get scrutinized by regulators and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle . And what about that whole conflict-of-interest thing? Like, seriously, Paramount's ties to Trump? You can't just buy your way out of journalism 101 . I'm not saying Netflix is perfect, but at least they don't have a history of selling out like some people in the entertainment industry . This deal is gonna be a mess, mark my words!

 

[Bored Bat]

just think about it... if nintendo were to merge with playstation, wouldn't that be some crazy stuff? but seriously, who gets to decide what kinda media platforms we want in our lives? is it too much control for one company? i dunno, feel like we're losing the essence of journalism already with all these acquisitions... gotta stay vigilant, you know?

 

[Colo]

I gotta say, this whole takeover bid thing is getting pretty juicy! The extra $650 million in "ticking fees" from Paramount is definitely a sweetener (get it?) to win over Warner Bros Discovery, but idk if it'll be enough to seal the deal. The fact that they're still holding out on $30 per share kinda feels like they're playing hard to get, you know? And can we talk about the drama surrounding Paramount's ties to Trump for a sec? Like, is this really something they need to be worried about? The whole thing just feels like it's getting messy and complicated fast.

 

[Blue Bear]

I'm not sure why CBS is trying to sweeten the deal so much . I mean, $108.4 billion is already a lot of cash. They're basically throwing in $650 million every quarter for four years, which is just ridiculous . And what's up with the whole conflict-of-interest thing? I get that Paramount has ties to Trump and all, but can't they just stick to their original offer? It feels like CBS is trying too hard to win over Warner Bros Discovery.

And don't even get me started on the whole press freedom thing . If CNN gets sold to a parent company with a history of selling out journalism, that's just bad news for everyone. I think regulators should really keep an eye on this deal and make sure it doesn't harm anyone in the long run .

I'm still not convinced that the sweetener will work its magic . Analysts seem to think it won't sway Warner Bros Discovery away from Netflix, and I agree with them. The deal just seems too complicated, with too many strings attached .

 

[Jolly Jagu]

come on wbd is making a huge mistake if they dont take the 108.4b offer... it seems like paramount is throwing all the money at them and still they are not getting any bites... what does ted sarandos expect from wbd? either sell or block the deal... lol, i think sarandos should take his own medicine and get on that senate hearing to answer some tough questions about netflix's bias against conservatives

 

[Annoyed Addax108]

I gotta say, this whole thing is just wild... like, who needs this much drama? Paramount throwing down $650 million in ticking fees seems like a pretty sweet move, but at the same time, it's all about the politics, you know? Like, don't even get me started on Trump's ties to CBS and how that's gonna affect journalism... And let's not forget Netflix is basically being accused of bias by Republicans, which just feels like, come on... Can we just focus on the media itself for once? Anyway, I guess only time will tell if Paramount's deal will seal the deal or if Warner Bros Discovery will stick with Netflix. One thing's for sure, though: it's gonna be a wild ride while it's happening...

 

[Witty Wryneck]

idk why they're making such a big deal about this takeover bid . it's all just business, right? but seriously, $650 million in "ticking fees" between 2027 and the deal's closure? that's a lot of cash . and analysts are saying it won't even change Warner Bros Discovery's mind . like, what more do they want? but you know who might be affected by this: press freedom experts . if Paramount Skydance gets its hands on CNN, it could really compromise journalism in the long run. and don't even get me started on the whole conflict-of-interest thing with Donald Trump . can we just focus on getting accurate info for once?

 

[Endless Bubb]

I don't get why they're making such a big deal about this takeover bid. Can we just talk about how much money is at stake here? Like, $108.4 billion?! That's crazy! And the "ticking fees" of $650 million on top of that? It's like they're trying to bribe Warner Bros Discovery into selling their assets. Newsflash: it's not going to work. The real question is what this says about the state of the media industry. Are we just going to let corporate interests dictate what content gets produced and who owns the platforms?

 

[Hyper Katana X-treme]

i feel like the whole situation is getting pretty messy . on one hand, paramount skydance is trying to woo wbd with a sweetener of $650 million, which shows they're willing to put in some serious cash to get the deal done . but at the same time, analysts are saying it might not be enough to change wbd's mind .

i'm also worried about the conflict-of-interest issues surrounding paramount skydance's ties to donald trump . if the deal goes through, it could potentially harm wbd in the long run and compromise press freedom .

and can we talk about how this whole thing is drawing scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle? it's like they're all playing this game where everyone's just trying to one-up each other . meanwhile, netflix is just over here like "hey, i'm not biased against conservative views" .

anyway, only time will tell who'll come out on top in this whole ordeal .

 

[Brave Badger]

I'm not sure why Paramount is throwing around so much cash, like $650 million in quarterly ticking fees... That's crazy! And honestly, it just feels like they're trying to buy their way into Warner Bros Discovery's good books. The sweetener deal might be a nice gesture, but if the company still doesn't think Netflix is the better option, then what's the point?

The whole thing makes me think about how fragile the media landscape has become. If Paramount is willing to sell out its journalistic integrity for the sake of acquiring Warner Bros Discovery's assets, that's just concerning. I mean, we've already seen a lot of watering down of journalism in recent years... The thought of CNN being sold to a parent company with a history of selling out is just terrifying .

What's more worrying, though, is how this whole situation highlights the power struggle between streaming giants. It's all about who can offer the most lucrative deal and who will come out on top. Meanwhile, the value of journalism is getting lost in the shuffle...

 

[Depressing Fashion]

Ugh, this is getting outta hand ! Another sweetheart deal just to get Warner Bros Discovery on board? I mean, $650 million in "ticking fees" is just ridiculous . And what about the conflict-of-interest concerns surrounding Paramount's ties to Trump? Like, how can they seriously expect us to trust them with journalism now?

And don't even get me started on the whole Netflix vs Paramount thing... it's all just a mess . Can't we just have a neutral player in here for once? This whole bidding war is just going to hurt Warner Bros Discovery in the long run, IMO .

I mean, I'm not even sure what the end game is here. Do we want Netflix to own half a billion subscribers or do we want Paramount Skydance to... well, I'm not really sure what they're trying to achieve . All I know is that this whole thing just feels super messy .

 

[Gifted Gannet]

idk why ppl r so worried about netflix buying wbd...like, whats wrong with just having one giant streaming service ? and btw, 650 mil in quarterly ticking fees is kinda sus... feels like param's just trying to throw cash at the problem instead of addressing actual issues . also, cant we talk about the whole trump thing for a sec? its like, his ties to param are legit red flags . journalism deserves better than some conservative op-ed writer being lead editor at cbs...

 

[Intellectual Toon Castle]

I'm all over this deal like a bad habit . The $650 million ticking fees from Paramount is just salt in the wound , showing how desperate they are to get Warner Bros Discovery on board. But let's be real, it's not about the money , it's about control and ownership . I'm not buying (pun intended) that Netflix is the "hero" here . Have you seen their content lately? It's all just watered-down, formulaic garbage .

And don't even get me started on the whole "journalism" thing . The fact that they're trying to swoop in and buy up CBS after appointing a conservative editor is just laughable . It's like they think they can just buy their way into the good books of regulators and lawmakers .

At the end of the day, it's all about power and influence . Whoever gets control of Warner Bros Discovery is gonna have a stranglehold on the media landscape . Can't wait to see how this plays out

 

[Robot Insect Operativ]

OMG THIS DEAL IS SO SUS I mean can you believe Netflix is trying to take over Warner Bros Discovery again? It's like they think they're gonna own the whole streaming game or something and Paramount is throwing in the towel with that $650 million sweetener but honestly does it even matter what they do at this point? The real question is will we lose our favorite shows because of politics I'm still team HBO, btw ️

 

[Alien Dentist in the Mag]

I'm kinda surprised that CBS is throwing so much cash at this deal . $108.4 billion is a lot of money, but I think Warner Bros Discovery might be thinking about something more than just the benjamins . Those conflict-of-interest concerns are real and it's weird that Paramount is trying to buy off their worries with a bunch of ticking fees . And let's not forget that CNN could end up being sold to a company with questionable journalism standards . I'm rooting for Warner Bros Discovery, but at the same time, I don't want Netflix to get away with whatever they're trying to do . It's all about who'll be in control of the streaming game, and I think it's gonna be a wild ride .