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Daniel Thomas / Financial Times:
Netflix agrees to acquire WBD's studios and streaming business in an $82.7B cash-and-stock deal, including debt, to close after WBD splits in two in Q3 2026 — As part of the deal, WBD will continue with plan to spin off its cable television networks — Netflix has agreed an $83bn takeover …
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Tony Maglio / The Hollywood Reporter:
Netflix says it “expects to maintain Warner Bros.' theatrical releases for films” but “the windows will evolve to be much more consumer friendly” — Now that that's settled... Netflix just solidified itself as the leading entertainment company (and then some), and all it cost was $83 billion.
Chris Kerr / Game Developer:
WBD confirms that Warner Bros. Games will be acquired by Netflix along with its wider streaming and television business — A Warner Bros. spokesperson has confirmed the video game division will be acquired by Netflix alongside its wider streaming and television business.
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Alex Sherman / CNBC:
Documents and source: WBD CEO David Zaslav's stock in WBD would be worth close to $660M if the Netflix deal closes — This isn't exactly what David Ellison had planned in September. — Just a few months ago, the Paramount Skydance CEO sent a letter to the Warner Bros. Discovery board …
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Bloomberg:
Netflix secured $59B in bridge financing from Wells Fargo, BNP Paribas, and HSBC for its WBD bid, one of the largest loans of its kind; Wells' share is $29.5B — Netflix Inc. has lined up $59 billion of financing from Wall Street banks to help support its planned $72 billion acquisition …
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Jody Godoy / Reuters:
Congressional Democrats and Republicans criticize the Netflix-WBD deal, saying it would raise streaming subscription prices and lessen workers' pay and control — Netflix (NFLX.O) pitched its $72 billion acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery's studios and streaming divisionas aligned …
Katie Campione / Deadline:
SAG-AFTRA puts off taking a position on the Netflix-WBD deal but says a deal benefiting its members “must result in more creation and more production, not less” — Instead, the guild says the potential transaction “raises many serious questions” that leadership expects to have answered.
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Nicole Sperling / New York Times:
Netflix's WBD bid marks a striking strategy shift for a company long known for pivots, especially after years of avoiding full commitment to theatrical releases — The streaming giant has changed its strategy many times over the years. But the decision to get deeply into theatrical releases may be the most startling yet.
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Ted Johnson / Deadline:
A look at the uphill battle to win regulatory approval for Netflix's acquisition of WBD, and the roles of the US DOJ, EU regulators, and state attorneys general
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Dade Hayes / Deadline:
Netflix CEOs say the WBD deal won't fail because “we understand these assets that we're buying” and they're not buying to compensate for business deterioration
Jane Fonda / The Ankler:
Jane Fonda warns that a WBD merger in any form is an alarming escalation in media consolidation, threatening the entertainment industry and the First Amendment
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Isabella Simonetti / Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Vanity Fair and Olivia Nuzzi have agreed to part ways following new allegations about her affair with RFK Jr. and her behavior while reporting on him — Nuzzi joined the magazine as an editor earlier this year — Vanity Fair and Olivia Nuzzi have agreed to part ways following …
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Sara Fischer / Axios:
Meta strikes commercial AI data deals with news publishers, including CNN, Fox News, and The Daily Caller, to provide real-time answers in its Meta AI chatbot — Meta on Friday said it has struck several commercial AI data agreements with news publishers ranging from USA Today, People Inc. …
Alexandra Steigrad / New York Post:
Sources: Forbes has cut ties with dozens of contributing writers; one exec said Forbes needs to ensure the contributor model is “financially sound” — Forbes abruptly cut ties with dozens of contributing writers this week — sparking outrage and confusion among the rank and file …
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Talking Biz News
Liam Scott / Columbia Journalism Review:
A look at the First Amendment Watch's SLAPP Back Initiative, a US SLAPP tracker; in 2024, 69 of 500 cases involved the media, of which 46 were dismissed — As Donald Trump tests the limits of anti-press litigation, a new initiative aims to document the wave of nuisance suits.
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Victoria Diana Baranetsky on LinkedIn
New York Times:
The New York Times sues Perplexity, claiming the AI startup violated its copyrights and kept using its content despite repeated demands over the past 18 months — IDEAS — Hannah Arendt Is Not Your Icon … Photo illustration by Ricardo Tomas — ADVERTISEMENT — LIVE
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