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Wall Street Journal:
WBD recommends shareholders reject Paramount's unsolicited cash bid, calling the offer “illusory” and saying it believes Netflix's proposal is still superior — Warner raised concerns about the credibility of Paramount's ‘illusory’ offer and its backing from the Ellison family
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Todd Spangler / Variety:
Paramount reaffirms its $30/share all-cash bid after WBD's board officially rejected it, saying its bid offers “superior value and certainty” for shareholders — For now, David Ellison's Paramount Skydance is signaling that it will fight for the hearts and minds of Warner Bros. Discovery …
Charles Gasparino / New York Post:
Source: Paramount has no immediate plans to sweeten its $30 per share, all-cash bid for WBD — Paramount Skydance has no immediate plans to sweeten its $30-a-share, all-cash bid for Warner Bros. Discovery - instead continuing to make its case to shareholders that its $78 billion offer …
Discussion:
The Streamable, The Wrap, Business Insider, Proactive, Telegraph, Bloomberg, Financial Times, The National, The Guardian, Dow Jones Newswires, IWCP Online, UPI, Business Standard, Reuters, Euronews, Times of India, The Standard, Sports Business Journal, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc., NBC Bay Area, Screen, The Times, The Independent, @danprimack, Investomania, ABC13, BMI, Washington Examiner, Livemint, Semafor, Cord Cutters News, WPXI-TV, Awful Announcing, Mobile World Live and Deadline
Todd Spangler / Variety:
SEC filing: WBD says the Ellisons offered David Zaslav a compensation package of several hundred million dollars, which Zaslav said was inappropriate to discuss — The Ellisons came promising boatloads of cash. … Over a four-month stretch, David Ellison pressed his case aggressively …
Discussion:
TV Tech, The Wrap, Business Insider, Reuters, The Ankler, GamesIndustry.biz, Benzinga, The Hollywood Reporter, CBS News, Financial Times and @xpangler
New York Times:
WBD says the Ellisons have “consistently misled” shareholders, including claiming Paramount's proposal had a “full backstop” but it “does not, and never has” — The claim was made as part of Warner Bros. Discovery's dismissal of Paramount's hostile takeover offer.
Discussion:
The Wrap, @hshaban, Inc.com, Business Insider, @willmckinley.bsky.social, Axios, @pkafka, @newnarrative.bsky.social, @sherman4949, Straight Arrow News and Semafor
Peter Grant / Wall Street Journal:
The WBD deal could worsen soundstage vacancies as productions may shift to the studio's facilities, affecting companies like Hackman, owner of 60+ soundstages
Discussion:
Daily Mail
Bloomberg:
Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners is exiting from Paramount's takeover bid for WBD, citing changed investment dynamics since it joined the bid in October
Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners is exiting from Paramount's takeover bid for WBD, citing changed investment dynamics since it joined the bid in October
Discussion:
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Associated Press:
A US federal judge denied Sarah Palin's bid for a new libel trial against the NYT and rejected her motion for his recusal, after a jury found no libel in April — Regarding the request to recuse himself, the judge said the trial transcript shows he frequently ruled in Palin's favor during the trials.
Discussion:
@lmariev.bsky.social, @volts.wtf and @daviddarmofal.bsky.social
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Netflix signs a deal with Barstool Sports to stream video versions of three podcasts, initially in the US; full video episodes will be removed from YouTube — Netflix also has podcast distribution deals with Spotify and iHeartMedia — Netflix has gone into business with Dave Portnoy …
Discussion:
The Wrap, Business Insider, Awful Announcing, The Streamable, The Hollywood Reporter, Sports Business Journal, @tvgrimreaper, @devonheinen.bsky.social, @devonheinen.bsky.social, Front Office Sports, Barrett Media, Deadline, PodcastingToday, TheGrio, Media Play News, Digital Trends, Podnews, TechCrunch, Digital Music News, RadioInsight, Radio Ink, Investing.com, Inside Radio, Engadget, TV Tech, Los Angeles Times, Radio World, CNET, Radio & Television …, The Verge, Dow Jones Newswires and New York Times
Jennifer Maas / Variety:
Sources: Disney has been hesitant to license its IP to Roblox because it doesn't consider it a safe platform, bucking the trend followed by Netflix and others — Here's a stat that might shock anyone who isn't the parent of a Gen Alpha kid: As of October 2025, online gaming platform Roblox boasted …
Joseph Berger / New York Times:
Norman Podhoretz, who transformed Commentary magazine into a controversial and influential neoconservative voice as its EIC from 1960 to 1995, has died at 95 — A New York intellectual and onetime liberal stalwart, his Commentary magazine became his platform as his political and social view turned sharply rightward.
BBC Press Office on LinkedIn:
BBC News hires Lindsay McIntosh, previously Head of News at The Sunday Times, as its Executive News Editor — We are delighted to announce Lindsay McIntosh as the new Executive News Editor, BBC News. — As Executive News Editor, Lindsay will be at the heart of the BBC newsroom …
Wall Street Journal:
US prosecutors charge Nick Reiner with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his parents, Hollywood director Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner — Prosecutors say Nick Reiner killed his father and mother in their Los Angeles home — LOS ANGELES—Prosecutors charged Nick Reiner Tuesday …
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Payton Turkeltaub / Variety:
UCLA study: among the most-watched streaming series in 2024, 80% of lead actors were white and white men accounted for 79% of all show creators, vs. 77% in 2023 — In 2024, there were fewer leading roles featuring women and women of color than the year before, despite households of color …
Discussion:
The Movie Blog, UCLA, Los Angeles Times and The Wrap
