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, CNN, NBC News, Dow Jones Newswires, The Movie Blog, PCMag, Los Angeles Times, /Film, Animation Magazine, WPXI-TV, Media Play News, @matthewkeyslive, @matthewkeyslive, PCWorld, UPI, Android Authority, CNET, Alex Sherman on LinkedIn, Engadget, New York Post, Bloomberg, Gizmodo, LateNighter, @reelpoporngeek, @dkaszor.bsky.social, @mhwilliams.bsky.social, @sherman4949, @laurenmeidasa.bsky.social, @zsharf, @film_girl, Awful Announcing, @raykcx, @annala7680.bsky.social, Mashable, @sherman4949, @whenbatmenfly, @jeremymbarr, @bee_with_mee, Streaming Better, Broadband TV News, @jeremymbarr, @tvgrimreaper, @steele131, @sherman4949, The Verge, MacDailyNews, Hollywood Life and The Streamable
RELATED:
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, Digital Music News, GamesIndustry.biz, 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:
NBC News, Business Insider, Variety, Fox Business, Deadline, GamesIndustry.biz, The Movie Blog, CinemaBlend, Hindustan Times, The Hollywood Reporter, GamingBolt, Awful Announcing, Media Play News, Barrett Media, Raw Story, Fortune, The Streamable, Dark Horizons, Front Office Sports, @carlquintanilla.bsky.social, Bleeding Cool News, The Wrap, Comic Book Movie, Cord Cutters News, Benzinga and Screen Rant, more at Techmeme »
RELATED:
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 and Inven Global
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:
Inverse, Deadline, American Prospect, Comic Book, Gizmodo, Mashable, New York Times, World of Reel, The Hollywood Reporter, @paulthedogman.bsky.social, TechCrunch, The A.V. Club, @mikeisaac, Variety, @lucas_shaw, The Boston Globe, New York Times, @dyckron@mstdn.ca, Tempo English, Variety, primetimer.com, Los Angeles Times, Polygon.com, Times of India, Forrester, Straight Arrow News, Sports Media Watch, @andkenbrbr.bsky.social, Business Insider, 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 and Telegraph
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, Washington Examiner, Paramount, 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, The Post Millennial and Blockonomi
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.
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
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
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
Michael Savage / The Guardian:
In testimony at the High Court, The Daily Mail's royal editor Rebecca English denied using a private investigator to “blag” information about Prince Harry — Rebecca English shown emails at high court trial suggesting investigator ‘went out on a limb’ to help her
Discussion:
UPI and Press Gazette
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.
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 …
