Top News:
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:
The Hollywood Reporter, CNBC, Axios, Screen Rant, TheDesk.net, Deadline, NBC News, CNN, /Film, Dow Jones Newswires, PCMag, Los Angeles Times, Animation Magazine, PCWorld, Android Authority, CNET, UPI, @matthewkeyslive, @matthewkeyslive, Alex Sherman on LinkedIn, WPXI-TV, Media Play News, @jeremymbarr, Mashable, Awful Announcing, Bloomberg, Gizmodo, New York Post, Engadget, Broadband TV News, LateNighter, @reelpoporngeek, @dkaszor.bsky.social, @mhwilliams.bsky.social, @sherman4949, @laurenmeidasa.bsky.social, @zsharf, @film_girl, @raykcx, @annala7680.bsky.social, @sherman4949, @whenbatmenfly, @jeremymbarr, @bee_with_mee, Streaming Better, @tvgrimreaper, @steele131, @sherman4949, The Verge, MacDailyNews, Hollywood Life and The Streamable
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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”
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:
Sportico, @karlbode.com, Page Six and The Hollywood Reporter
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:
/Film, Reuters, @radiodeadair.com, 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:
Business Insider, Variety, Fox Business, Deadline, GamesIndustry.biz, The Movie Blog, CinemaBlend, Front Office Sports, Hindustan Times, The Hollywood Reporter, GamingBolt, Awful Announcing, Media Play News, Barrett Media, Raw Story, @carlquintanilla.bsky.social, Fortune, The Streamable, Bleeding Cool News, The Wrap, Comic Book Movie, Cord Cutters News, Benzinga and Screen Rant, more at Techmeme »
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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
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
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:
Los Angeles Business Journal, New York Post, Appleosophy, Inven Global and thepeoplesmovies.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:
American Prospect, Deadline, World of Reel, Comic Book, The Hollywood Reporter, Gizmodo, Mashable, New York Times, @paulthedogman.bsky.social, TechCrunch, The A.V. Club, Variety, @mikeisaac, @lucas_shaw, The Boston Globe, New York Times, @dyckron@mstdn.ca, Tempo English, primetimer.com, Los Angeles Times, Polygon.com, Times of India, Forrester, Straight Arrow News, Sports Media Watch, Business Insider, @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, iDrop News, Telegraph and Android Headlines
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:
Axios, Broadband TV News, NZ Herald, Decider, Deadline, Variety, The Guardian, Türkiye Today, Sky News, TMZ.com, Hindustan Times, Screen, Paramount, Washington Examiner, TV Blackbox, iClarified, FinancialContent, Wrestling Inc., @steppencat.bsky.social, Superman, Times of India, Media Play News, Bloomberg, NBC Bay Area, Engadget, @musiccomposer.com, The Wrap, The Verge, Crypto Briefing, ABC7, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, Dallas Express, New York Post, KVIA-TV, Blockonomi and The Post Millennial
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
X announces a “Paid Partnership” label that creators can apply to their posts to indicate they're ads; until now, creators relied on hashtags to label posts — Social network X on Monday announced the introduction of a new “Paid Partnership” label that creators can apply to their posts to indicate they're advertisements.
Peter Kafka / Business Insider:
Paramount says the Ellisons and RedBird pledged $47B in the WBD deal but won't say if Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar are funding $24B announced in December — Follow Peter Kafka … - In December, Paramount's Larry and David Ellison said they had partners to help them buy WBD: Three Gulf states.
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:
Podglomerate and Forbes
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:
DNYUZ, The Gateway Pundit, @joshkraushaar, @jeremymbarr, @maxwelltani, @justinbaragona.bsky.social, @maxwelltani, @scottjenningsky and Fox News
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
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Kalshi signs a deal with the AP to license elections data starting with the 2026 midterms; AP will provide Kalshi with its vote count data and race calls — Kalshi, one of the world's largest prediction market companies, struck a deal with the Associated Press to license its elections data starting with the 2026 midterms.
Discussion:
@blueplanetradio.bsky.social and InsuranceNewsNet
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 …
