Top News:
Lucas Manfredi / The Wrap:
Paramount says there are “no plans to divest or spin off a package of cable assets at this time”, after merging with WBD, creating a vast cable and TV portfolio — CEO David Ellison added that HBO would continue to — have “the resources and independence to do what it does best”
Discussion:
CNBC, The Streamable, Awful Announcing, Rolling Stone, 9to5Mac, NewsMax.com, Media Play News and The Hollywood Reporter
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Dade Hayes / Deadline:
Paramount President Jeff Shell was absent on Monday's WBD investor call, sources say amid an internal probe that he leaked details about a UFC deal in 2025 — Paramount President Jeff Shell, a key member of the management team during the company's pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery …
Discussion:
Page Six and The Hollywood Reporter
Jennifer Maas / Variety:
David Ellison says Paramount plans to combine Paramount+ and HBO Max into one streamer with 200M+ subscribers, but will let HBO “operate with independence” — Paramount Skydance plans to combine Paramount+ and HBO Max into one streaming service, upon the completion …
Discussion:
Deadline, NBC News, /Film, Screen Rant, New York Post, Bloomberg, Gizmodo, @bee_with_mee, The Verge, @sherman4949, @sherman4949, @laurenmeidasa.bsky.social, @raykcx, @reelpoporngeek, @film_girl, @whenbatmenfly, Streaming Better, @steele131, @zsharf, @jeremymbarr, @sherman4949, LateNighter, Hollywood Life, The Hollywood Reporter, The Streamable and Cord Cutters News
Harshita Mary Varghese / Reuters:
David Ellison says Paramount's deal for WBD will leave the combined company with ~$79B in net debt; Paramount's offer includes $47B in equity and $54B in debt — Paramount Skydance (PSKY.O) CEO David Ellison said on Monday its deal for Warner Bros will leave the combined company …
Discussion:
Reuters, Variety, NPR, Barron's Online, Screen Rant, TrekMovie.com, The Times and Wired
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Q&A with Ted Sarandos on the scenario planning Netflix did before Paramount's final WBD bid, how Paramount's deal closing could lead to cuts of $16B+, and more — When Netflix Inc. dropped out of the bidding for Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. on Feb. 26, the news came as a surprise to many in Hollywood.
Discussion:
Variety, Business Insider, Deadline, The Streamable, Barrett Media, The Hollywood Reporter, Fortune, Hindustan Times, Cord Cutters News, Awful Announcing, Raw Story, @carlquintanilla.bsky.social, Bleeding Cool News, The Wrap, Comic Book Movie, Screen Rant, Benzinga and Politico, more at Techmeme »
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Dan Gallagher / Wall Street Journal:
Netflix actually won by walking away from the WBD bid, collecting a $2.8B termination fee and driving up the price and debt load of the Paramount-WBD merger
Nellie Andreeva / Deadline:
Ted Sarandos discusses the scenario planning Netflix did before Paramount's final WBD bid, how there could be cuts of $16B+ if Paramount's deal closes, and more
Ted Sarandos discusses the scenario planning Netflix did before Paramount's final WBD bid, how there could be cuts of $16B+ if Paramount's deal closes, and more
Discussion:
New York Post, Los Angeles Business Journal, Appleosophy, Inven Global, thepeoplesmovies.com and PCMag
New York Times:
Sources: WBD staff are bracing for widespread layoffs as David Ellison wants $6B in “synergies”; the internal mood is grim as staff preferred Netflix's proposal
Sources: WBD staff are bracing for widespread layoffs as David Ellison wants $6B in “synergies”; the internal mood is grim as staff preferred Netflix's proposal
Discussion:
Variety, @jenrubin.bsky.social, The Ankler, The Olympian, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, The Daily Beast and TODAY.com
Bloomberg:
How Paramount's David Ellison deployed financial backing and political lobbying, including his well-connected chief legal adviser, to beat Netflix and win WBD
How Paramount's David Ellison deployed financial backing and political lobbying, including his well-connected chief legal adviser, to beat Netflix and win WBD
Discussion:
Comic Book, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, Gizmodo, Mashable, New York Times, @paulthedogman.bsky.social, TechCrunch, Variety, The A.V. Club, New York Times, @mikeisaac, @lucas_shaw, The Boston Globe, @dyckron@mstdn.ca, Tempo English, Business Insider, Los Angeles Times, primetimer.com, Polygon.com, Times of India, Forrester, Straight Arrow News, Sports Media Watch, @andkenbrbr.bsky.social, Reuters, @robertscotthorton.bsky.social, @karlbode.com, @karlbode.com, What's Trending, Financial Times, The Gateway Pundit, New York Post, The Motley Fool, Dow Jones Newswires, Kidscreen, Front Office Sports, The Week, Esquire, American Prospect, iDrop News, Telegraph, Android Headlines, Reality Tea, CinemaBlend, BBC, Entrepreneur, What Hi-Fi?, Metro.co.uk and Joe.My.God.
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
Paramount agrees to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, paying $31 per share in cash, giving WBD an enterprise value of $110B
Paramount agrees to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, paying $31 per share in cash, giving WBD an enterprise value of $110B
Discussion:
TrekMovie.com, Broadband TV News, Variety, Deadline, The Guardian, Decider, Bloomberg, TMZ.com, Türkiye Today, Sky News, Hindustan Times, Screen, Paramount Skydance Corporation, Washington Examiner, TV Blackbox, iClarified, FinancialContent, Wrestling Inc., @steppencat.bsky.social, Superman, Times of India, Media Play News, NBC Bay Area, Engadget, @musiccomposer.com, The Wrap, The Verge, Crypto Briefing, ABC7, Reuters, Dallas Express, New York Post, Agence France-Presse, Blockonomi, KVIA-TV, The Post Millennial, GamingBolt, Rock, Paper, Shotgun and NME
Ashley Carman / Bloomberg:
Inside the Podcast Business Summit and interviews with Kara Swisher, Adam Friedland, and others about how video podcasts won over audio, paywalls, ads, and more — The six biggest takeaways from this week's podcast business summit — Welcome back to Soundbite. This week has been a doozy.
Discussion:
Forbes, Podglomerate and Podnews
Max Tani / Semafor:
How CBS News' right-leaning, pro-Israel editorial leadership is covering the Iran crisis; Bari Weiss' outspoken approach led to her reposting false information — The News — Bari Weiss has long held a strong point of view on US policy toward Iran. Now she's testing to what extent …
Discussion:
@jeremymbarr, Fox News, @scottjenningsky, @maxwelltani, @maxwelltani, @joshkraushaar, @justinbaragona.bsky.social, DNYUZ and The Gateway Pundit
Jordyn Holman / New York Times:
Q&A with Kickstarter CEO Everette Taylor on modernizing the platform, attracting new creators, managing a fully remote, four-day-per-week workplace, and more — Everette Taylor took over Kickstarter at a low moment for the crowdfunding pioneer, which made its name with small projects …
Discussion:
Gina Dukes on LinkedIn
New York Times:
An interview with Rick Ardon and Susannah Carr, who have helmed 7News Perth's nightly TV news for 40+ years and are the world's longest-serving news anchor team — On a sunny recent afternoon, Rick Ardon was having trouble picking out the right tie. — His first choice was vetoed as …
Jake Kanter / Deadline:
Tourettes Action, a leading Tourette's charity, criticizes an SNL sketch that used Tourette's syndrome to satirize the controversies of celebs like Mel Gibson — In the PSA-style skit titled 'Tourette's,' a host of celebrities, including J.K. Rowling, Mel Gibson, Armie Hammer, Louis C.K. …
Discussion:
LateNighter, Variety, Forbes, Entertainment Weekly, @dreyfusjames, The Guardian, TV Insider, The Independent, Mediaite, Reality Tea, @_willwalters, @oteghauwagba, @soniasodha, @judeinlondon, @mhairihunter, @v_j_freeman, @hodge_stick, @mssinenomine, The A.V. Club, @scott_wortley, Variety, @s8mb, @hecubian_devil, @heavy_boab, @bdsixsmith, @atticumfloreat, The Wrap, @77_steeze, @laurarbnsn, @neillancaster66, @lewis_goodall, @bencooper, @docstrangelove2, @lizzurr, @nikicaga, @stephenpollard, UNILAD, @rhysrmann, @dyingscribe, @joanmcalpine, Page Six, @ericmgarcia, @shatterface, @simoneumba, LateNighter, LateNighter, @pandasandvidya, @scott_wortley, Entertainment Weekly and @nbcsnl
Nieman Lab:
Q&A with Houston Chronicle executives and local creator Shawn Singh on partnering with creators, who the outlet sees as “freelancers for the digital age” — “We are thinking of creators almost as, like, freelancers for the digital age.” — Earlier this month …
Discussion:
PR Daily
Georg Szalai / The Hollywood Reporter:
EchoStar reports losing 168K subscribers in Q4 for 7M in total, including 1.98M Sling TV subscribers; pay TV revenue fell 11% YoY to $2.3B; SATS jumps 6%+ — EchoStar ended the year 2025 with 7 million pay-TV subscribers, including around 5 million Dish TV subscribers and 2 million Sling TV subscribers
Discussion:
Advanced Television, Benzinga, Cord Cutters News, Streaming Better, Blockonomi and Telecompaper
