Top News:
CNBC:
Paramount launches a hostile bid to acquire WBD, offering WBD shareholders $30/share in a $108.4B all-cash deal; sources say WBD rejected the same bid last week — Paramount Skydance is launching a hostile bid to buy Warner Bros. Discovery after it lost out to Netflix in a months-long bidding war …
Discussion:
Paramount Skydance Corporation, Variety, TV Tech, The Guardian, TechCrunch, Financial Times, Variety, Screen Rant, New York Times, TheDesk.net, The Guardian, Deadline, MediaPost, Mediaite, Axios, Associated Press, ABC, The Times, Awful Announcing, MobileSyrup, Benzinga, Nerdist, Digital Music News, @kerrymflynn, The Movie Blog, Wall Street Journal, CNN, The Moderate Voice, /Film, TBPN, Bloomberg, Lawyers, Guns & Money, @grynbaum, Investomania, Ars Technica, MS NOW, Fox Business, Reuters, Business Insider, The Streamable, Dow Jones Newswires, No Film School, The Independent, @ryanenos.bsky.social, NBC News, Hollywood Life, The Hill, masslive.com, @sherman4949, Screen, @obrien_kat@mastodon.world, @brianstelter, @karlbode.com, Inc.com, Pure Xbox, @mikeisaac, Forbes, PCMag, NPR, UPI, WTTG-TV, Breitbart, Thurrott, Washington Examiner, GamesIndustry.biz, Washington Times, Gizmodo, Yahoo Finance, CBS News, Engadget, Mirror US, France 24, The Information, Blockchain.News, Telegraph, Livemint, Comic Book, The Standard, KDFX-TV, Fortune, Quartz, @sherman4949, Barrett Media, @sarafischer, @stephentotilo.bsky.social, @danprimack, @newsguy.bsky.social, @franciswilkinson.bsky.social, @alaynatreene, @teroterotero, @danprimack, Entrepreneur, Straight Arrow News, Cord Cutters News, @mattmcneilshow.bsky.social, @renegadecut.bsky.social, @joecarlsonshow, Michael Quigley on LinkedIn, @sherman4949, @sherman4949, @panda-news.bsky.social, Pulse 2.0, @edmundlee, Canoe, @kcfennessy.bsky.social, @seldo.com, @rwmead.bsky.social, @sherman4949, @rosesbloom24.bsky.social, Sharecast, @sherman4949, Media Play News, @teroterotero, Sports Media Watch, @sherman4949, @kristoncapps.bsky.social, Gianna Barberia on LinkedIn, @sherman4949, @rabichakra.bsky.social, @fizzvstheworld.bsky.social, @sherman4949, today.rtl.lu, The Indian Express, @schooley.bsky.social, @msignorile.bsky.social, @lucas_shaw, @markjacob.bsky.social, @brianstelter, @annmlipton@esq.social, @robertscotthorton.bsky.social, @bgrueskin.bsky.social, @laurenshirsch, @lucas_shaw, @sternbergh.bsky.social, Business Today, @figgityfigs.bsky.social, Far Out Magazine, Anadolu Ajansı … and WPXI-TV, more at Techmeme »
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Sara Fischer / Axios:
Filing: Paramount's outside partners for its WBD bid include Saudi Arabia's PIF, Abu Dhabi's L'imad, Qatar Investment Authority, and Jared Kushner's Affinity — Paramount on Monday launched a hostile takeover bid to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, going directly to shareholders with an all-cash, $30-per-share offer.
Discussion:
Axios, Sydney Morning Herald, Bloomberg, @kasparov63, @rpsagainsttrump, Reuters, @chris@mstdn.chrisalemany.ca, @vanhollen.senate.gov, The National, Deseret News, International Business Times, @sarafischer, BNN Bloomberg, Business Insider, Washington Post, Agence France-Presse, PC Gamer, Dow Jones Newswires, @lucas_shaw, @emptywheel.bsky.social, @jczive, @lucas_shaw, @bmdrew73.bsky.social, @sarafischer, @hshaban, @semaforben, @sarafischer, @scottnover, World of Reel and Yahoo Finance
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
Comcast President Mike Cavanagh says the company did not have a “high likelihood of prevailing” in its WBD bid but believed the attempt was worthwhile — Mike Cavanagh said Monday that the company “did not expect that we had a high likelihood of prevailing” in its Warner Bros. bid, but wanted to try.
Discussion:
The Wrap, @tvgrimreaper, Business Insider, Bloomberg and Deadline
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Sources: Ted Sarandos met with Trump in November, arguing that Netflix wasn't a monopoly; Sarandos agreed with Trump that WBD should sell to the highest bidder — Netflix Inc. co-Chief Executive Officer Ted Sarandos ventured to the White House in mid-November for a meeting with President Donald Trump.
Discussion:
The Hollywood Reporter, Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, USA Today, The Times, Sky News, Fortune, Mirror US, Associated Press, @hblodget, @brianstelter, @lucas_shaw, naked capitalism, The Independent, Business Insider, New Republic, Deadline, TVREV, New York Times, The Streamable, Washington Examiner, Semafor, Wall Street Journal, Gizmodo, UPI, indy100, CNBC, Mediaite, GameSpot, @laurenshirsch, BIG by Matt Stoller, Newsweek, The Statesman, @lucas_shaw, CampaignUs, My Nintendo News, Breitbart, NBC News, Benzinga, Newsmax, @jason, @cgasparino, @lucas_shaw, @lucas_shaw, @cgasparino, Forbes, al.com, Mumbrella, TVNewsCheck, Media Play News, @toomuchtv.substack.com, @karaswisher.bsky.social, @gigawattconduit.bsky.social and New York Post, more at Techmeme »
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Bloomberg:
President Trump says Netflix's WBD deal has “got to go through a process”, its big market share “could be a problem”, and he will be involved in the decision
President Trump says Netflix's WBD deal has “got to go through a process”, its big market share “could be a problem”, and he will be involved in the decision
Discussion:
The Wrap, Business Insider, Fox Business, Deadline, One America News Network, RUMBLE, CNBC, Dallas Express, Yahoo Finance, The Hill, Inc.com, Sports Business Journal, Benzinga, New York Post, Channel 4 News, New York Times, MediaNews4U, Fortune, The Streamable, TheJournal.ie, @senwarren, @rphilly.bsky.social, Crypto Briefing, @ronfilipkowski, mxdwn Television, Stratechery, The Daily Caller, @tracinski.bsky.social, @nick_field90, Irish Examiner, Taipei Times, What's Trending, iPhone in Canada, Truth on the Market, Engadget, @scottnover, @brianstelter, @caseynewton.bsky.social, @rapidresponse47, The American Bazaar, Nairametrics, @mrgq.bsky.social, Business Standard, USA Today, Washington Post, Livemint, Far Out Magazine, Blockchain.News, The Post Millennial and World of Reel, more at Techmeme »
Mark Kleinman / Sky News:
Source: Piers Morgan's YouTube-based venture Uncensored is raising £22.5M from The Raine Group, Theo Kyriakou, and others at a £97M pre-money valuation — The US-based merchant bank Raine and Greek media mogul Theo Kyriakou are among the backers of the former Mirror editor …
Discussion:
The Wrap
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PodcastingToday:
Piers Morgan's Uncensored launches its first spin-off, History Uncensored, hosted by former CNN anchor Bianca Nobilo, airing weekly on YouTube and as a podcast — Piers Morgan Uncensored is launching its first ever spin-off series, History Uncensored, presented by former CNN anchor and reporter Bianca Nobilo.
Discussion:
@gregianjohnson.bsky.social, Variety and Barrett Media
Lara O'Reilly / Business Insider:
Uber launches Uber Intelligence, an insights platform that lets advertisers tap into Uber's data about customer trips and deliveries — - Uber Advertising is launching an insights platform for marketers called Uber Intelligence. — It has partnered with LiveRamp to aggregate users' data without revealing their identities.
Discussion:
TheDesk.net, How-To Geek and Engadget, more at Techmeme »
Max Tani / Semafor:
Source: OpenAI privately complained to NBC News that the author of a story about OpenAI pressuring nonprofits was backed by a nonprofit involved in the story — The Scoop — Last month, NBC News broke the news that the artificial intelligence behemoth OpenAI had quietly issued a series …
Discussion:
@jeffjarvis.bsky.social, @binarybits, @lopatto.bsky.social and @maxwelltani
Mike Butcher / Pathfounders:
Alexandru Stan, founder of the software marketplace Tekpon, has acquired The Next Web media and events brands from The Financial Times — The European tech media space has been in quite a state of flux this past year or so, to put it mildly. Under assault, it said, from an AI-driven plumet in traffic …
Discussion:
@martinsfp.bsky.social
Aisha Malik / TechCrunch:
Adobe partners with YouTube to launch a dedicated content creation space for YouTube Shorts creators within its Premiere mobile app for iOS — Adobe is partnering with YouTube to launch a dedicated content creation space in Premiere for iOS for YouTube Shorts creators, the company announced on Monday.
Discussion:
9to5Google, Thurrott and The Shortcut
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
The Academy reports fiscal 2025 revenues of $269.2M, up from $263.1M in 2024, after cutting expenses from $220.1M to $208.1M; Oscars revenue grew to $150.5M — “It is so important that we continue to diversify revenue streams and control expenses to allow for a sustainable and impactful future," Academy CEO Bill Kramer tells THR.
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
Sources: Anderson Cooper has signed a new deal with CNN — Anderson Cooper may no longer always be the anchor on CNN who is most watched regularly by viewers, but the news outlet believes he's still worth keeping on the roster. — Cooper in recent weeks signed a new deal …
Discussion:
TVNewsCheck, Deadline and @jeremymbarr

