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, The Guardian, TV Tech, The Guardian, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, TechCrunch, Deadline, Sydney Morning Herald, TheDesk.net, Screen Rant, New York Times, BBC, Variety, MediaPost, Techdirt, Axios, Associated Press, SiliconANGLE, ITR Wrestling, ABC, @deitaone, Nerdist, The Times, Digital Music News, @kerrymflynn, Mediaite, The Movie Blog, Business Insider, The Moderate Voice, MobileSyrup, TBPN, Benzinga, MS NOW, BusinessDesk, Lawyers, Guns & Money, @grynbaum, Investomania, Bloomberg, Dow Jones Newswires, The Hill, masslive.com, UPI, Thurrott, PCMag, Forbes, Breitbart, WTTG-TV, Reuters, Washington Times, @sherman4949, Barrett Media, KDFX-TV, France 24, @sarafischer, Blockchain.News, Pure Xbox, The Independent, @stephentotilo.bsky.social, /Film, Ars Technica, @danprimack, @newsguy.bsky.social, @franciswilkinson.bsky.social, @alaynatreene, @teroterotero, @danprimack, Entrepreneur, Cord Cutters News, @mattmcneilshow.bsky.social, @renegadecut.bsky.social, @joecarlsonshow, Michael Quigley on LinkedIn, No Film School, @sherman4949, @sherman4949, @panda-news.bsky.social, Screen, Pulse 2.0, @edmundlee, Canoe, Yahoo Finance, @kcfennessy.bsky.social, @seldo.com, CNN, @rwmead.bsky.social, Mirror US, @sherman4949, Hollywood Life, @rosesbloom24.bsky.social, Sharecast, Gizmodo, @sherman4949, The Standard, Quartz, The Streamable, Media Play News, @teroterotero, @sherman4949, Sports Media Watch, Comic Book, @sherman4949, @kristoncapps.bsky.social, Gianna Barberia on LinkedIn, @sherman4949, @mikeisaac, CBS News, @rabichakra.bsky.social, @obrien_kat@mastodon.world, The Information, @fizzvstheworld.bsky.social, @sherman4949, today.rtl.lu, The Indian Express, Telegraph, Engadget, @brianstelter, @schooley.bsky.social, @msignorile.bsky.social, @lucas_shaw, @markjacob.bsky.social, Inc.com, @brianstelter, @ryanenos.bsky.social, @annmlipton@esq.social, NBC News, @robertscotthorton.bsky.social, @bgrueskin.bsky.social, @karlbode.com, Awful Announcing, @laurenshirsch, Livemint, @lucas_shaw, @sternbergh.bsky.social, Business Today, @figgityfigs.bsky.social, Far Out Magazine, Fox Business, PC Gamer and Anadolu Ajansı …, 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, New York Times, The Wrap, The Hill, Reuters, @scottnover, @kasparov63, @rpsagainsttrump, Bloomberg, @chris@mstdn.chrisalemany.ca, @vanhollen.senate.gov, The National, International Business Times, BNN Bloomberg, Business Insider, @lucas_shaw, @emptywheel.bsky.social, Associated Press, Straight Arrow News, @jczive, @lucas_shaw, @bmdrew73.bsky.social, @sarafischer, Dow Jones Newswires, Deseret News, Washington Post, @hshaban, @semaforben, @sarafischer, Blockchain.News, @scottnover, World of Reel, Agence France-Presse and @sarafischer
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:
Columbia Journalism Review, The Hollywood Reporter, Business Insider, Associated Press, Bloomberg, USA Today, The Times, The Independent, Sky News, New York Times, @hblodget, @brianstelter, @lucas_shaw, Fortune, Mirror US, naked capitalism, New Republic, GamesIndustry.biz, Gizmodo, indy100, CNBC, Mediaite, GameSpot, @laurenshirsch, The Streamable, @lucas_shaw, CampaignUs, My Nintendo News, Breitbart, Washington Examiner, Deadline, The Statesman, Semafor, @jason, @cgasparino, @lucas_shaw, @lucas_shaw, @cgasparino, @toomuchtv.substack.com, @karaswisher.bsky.social, @gigawattconduit.bsky.social and New York Post, more at Techmeme »
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 and Bloomberg
Cynthia Littleton / Variety:
Ted Sarandos says Paramount's “move was entirely expected”, but Netflix is “super confident” that it will get the WBD deal “across the line and finish”
Discussion:
Screen Rant, Bloomberg and The Movie Blog
Rohan Goswami / Semafor:
Paramount's WBD bid is backfiring in DC; a Trump official says Paramount seems to “believe the worst possible tropes” about corruption in the administration
Paramount's WBD bid is backfiring in DC; a Trump official says Paramount seems to “believe the worst possible tropes” about corruption in the administration
Discussion:
The Guardian, Vanity Fair, Cageside Seats …, NME, The Movie Blog, HuffPost, Business Insider, NPR, @maxwelltani, @semaforben, MS NOW, @brianstelter, Reuters, @karlbode.com, @atrupar, Radio & Television …, @semaforben, Screen and Mirror US
Bloomberg:
Paramount secures up to $54B in bridge loan financing, one of the largest of its kind, from Bank of America, Citigroup, and Apollo Global for its WBD bid
Paramount secures up to $54B in bridge loan financing, one of the largest of its kind, from Bank of America, Citigroup, and Apollo Global for its WBD bid
Discussion:
Cord Cutters News, Fortune and @devonheinen.bsky.social
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:
Adweek, Reuters, Business Insider, The Wrap, Reason, PCMag, Yahoo Finance, Joe.My.God., Media Play News, Deadline, One America News Network, CNBC, Fox Business, RUMBLE, Benzinga, Sports Business Journal, New York Times, Fortune, The Streamable, TheJournal.ie, @senwarren, New York Post, Crypto Briefing, @ronfilipkowski, mxdwn Television, Stratechery, The Daily Caller, @nick_field90, Irish Examiner, Taipei Times, What's Trending, iPhone in Canada, Truth on the Market, Engadget, @scottnover, @brianstelter, @rapidresponse47, The American Bazaar, Dallas Express, Nairametrics, Inc.com, Business Standard, MediaNews4U, @rphilly.bsky.social, @tracinski.bsky.social, @caseynewton.bsky.social and @mrgq.bsky.social, more at Techmeme »
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Sources: ABC extended Jimmy Kimmel's deal until May 2027; the deal was reached months ago, but the announcement was delayed out of respect for Stephen Colbert — Walt Disney Co. is bringing Jimmy Kimmel back for at least one more year. — The late-night star, who was suspended in September …
Discussion:
Variety, The Guardian, TVNewsCheck, Daily Mail, LateNighter, CNN, The Wrap, Showbiz411, The US Sun, @lucas_shaw and Deadline
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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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, Engadget and How-To Geek, 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
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:
The Independent, The Wrap, TVNewsCheck, TV Insider, Deadline, @jeremymbarr and Barrett Media
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:
Android Police, 9to5Google, The Shortcut and Thurrott
Lawrence Bonk / Engadget:
TikTok announces Shared Collection, to organize and share saved videos, and plans to launch Shared Feed, a daily curated selection of 15 videos, globally — The first tool is similar to something Instagram introduced earlier this year. — TikTok just announced a couple of updates that that should make the app a bit more social.
Discussion:
Social Media Today, TechCrunch and TikTok
