WBD Acquisition Thread

[Elijah Abrams]

By that I mean that Disney keeps two brands with separate mindsets. Warner and Paramount in the case of the merged company.

Yeah, no.

 

[zakawer2]

If there's any WBD-owned linear TV channels in Denmark I could see getting sold off after Paramount buys WBD, it would definitely have to be Kanal 4, Kanal 5, 6'eren and Canal 9 (the four uniquely Danish TV channels that WBD owns and operates in Denmark).

Those four channels could easily be sold off to Viaplay Group (whose predecessor NENT increased their control of Xee from simply overseeing the sports stuff to having full creative control over the entire channel after Disney pulled out of the management for said channel, with NENT renaming the channel to See).

 

[Moe]

If there's any WBD-owned linear TV channels in Denmark I could see getting sold off after Paramount buys WBD, it would definitely have to be Kanal 4, Kanal 5, 6'eren and Canal 9 (the four uniquely Danish TV channels that WBD owns and operates in Denmark).

Those four channels could easily be sold off to Viaplay Group (whose predecessor NENT increased their control of Xee from simply overseeing the sports stuff to having dull creative control over the entire channel after Disney pulled out of the management for said channel, with NENT renaming the channel to See).

I'm just wonder about how many linear networks in Denmark?

 

[zakawer2]

I'm just wonder about how many linear networks in Denmark?

If you are "just wonder about how many linear networks in Denmark" (i.e. you're wondering how many linear TV channels Warner Bros. Discovery owns and operates in Denmark through any of its subsidiaries), here's a full list:

• 6'eren
• Animal Planet
• Canal 9
• Cartoonito
• Cartoon Network
• CNN International
• Discovery Channel
• Discovery Science
• Eurosport 1
• Eurosport 2
• Investigation Discovery
• Kanal 4
• Kanal 5
• TLC
• Travel Channel

Fifteen (15) channels, with twelve (12) of them all inherited from Discovery Inc. following the WBD merger.

Only three of WBD's linear TV channels in Denmark are specifically inherited from WarnerMedia LLC: Cartoon Network, Cartoonito (formerly Boomerang) and CNN International.

 

[lowell]

I’d rather Disney do that, so it can allow them to sell it someday.

At least Disney takes care of 20th Century as well as WB took care of New Line, the Fox purchase is pretty much similar to WarnerMedia's Turner purchase at this point.

The key difference with Skydance's WarnerDiscovery pursuit is that the Ellisons are bent on making sure their effort eventually becomes state-sponsored or state-backed media and that's much more dangerous on anything else M&A here.

 

[JulianRO]

Inside David Ellison's plan to build a Netflix killer

Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison is looking to battle Netflix by bringing on short-form video and hiring key executives away from Amazon.

www.businessinsider.com

An interesting article.

 

[zakawer2]

Does David Ellison have a long-term contingency plan in case the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery fails, or Paramount is forced by regulators to make major concessions (e.g. divesting/spinning off assets, etc.)?

 

[JulianRO]

divesting/spinning off assets, etc.

Hardly doubt about this.

Does David Ellison have a long-term contingency plan in case the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery fails

PSKY would continue as it is, WBD gains $7 billion from the breakup fee.

 

[lowell]

Does David Ellison have a long-term contingency plan in case the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery fails, or Paramount is forced by regulators to make major concessions (e.g. divesting/spinning off assets, etc.)?

Nope, all that restructuring moves at Paramount Global was done by him riding on a WarnerDiscovery deal that wasn't even guaranteed.

PSKY would continue as it is, WBD gains $7 billion from the breakup fee.

If Oracle's in financial trouble, Larry's making that his priority. And if Skydance's WarnerDiscovery financing implodes because of both that and any funding partners pulling out, David's done if there's no money spigot.

 

[zakawer2]

Nope, all that restructuring moves at Paramount Global Paramount, a Skydance Corporation was done by him riding on a WarnerDiscovery Warner Bros. Discovery deal that wasn't even guaranteed.

Then can't he just reverse those moves and/or work around them in case the deal fails or something?

 

[themidnightlore]

Then can't he just reverse those moves and/or work around them in case the deal fails or something?

I think Larry Ellison cares more for Oracle than the whims of his son.

 

[JulianRO]

Considering that he did use $40 billion from his fortune to buy WBD, I wouldn't really say so

 

[themidnightlore]

Considering that he did use $40 billion from his fortune to buy WBD, I wouldn't really say so

Maybe he cares for both but Oracle a bit much more? As @lowell says, if the AI bubble explodes, Oracle is in danger and I feel the older Ellison will rush to save that.

 

[JulianRO]

Honestly this is also another potential danger for WBD to sink even more. Clearly a lot of stock from Oracle would be sacrificed for this buyout.

Meanwhile, Netflix "silently" acquired InterPositive, Ben Affleck's AI postproduction startup:

Ben Affleck sells his AI postproduction startup to Netflix

Announcing the InterPositive deal, the actor says he was moved from being scared of the technology to embracing it

www.theguardian.com

 

[Insidus]

After Warner Bros. merger, changes are coming to the historic Paramount lot. Here's what to expect

Paramount Skydance plans to redevelop its historic Hollywood studio as it consolidates the vast Warner Bros. and Paramount real estate empires.

www.latimes.com

Looks like space at the Paramount lot will be leased out.

Then again Paramount had been making most of the cuts at their own company I feel this transaction is their way of doing away with their own assets in favour of WBD. NBCUniversal has Bravo, WBD has TLC and Paramount with the weakest link being MTV.

Comcast is so unlikely in the streaming biz honestly that SkyShowtime deal is likely dead with this merger.

 

[Elijah Abrams]

Then again Paramount had been making most of the cuts at their own company I feel this transaction is their way of doing away with their own assets in favour of WBD. NBCUniversal has Bravo, WBD has TLC and Paramount with the weakest link being MTV.

Comcast is so unlikely in the streaming biz honestly that SkyShowtime deal is likely dead with this merger.

At least Paramount said they’re keeping both their and Warner Bros.' film lots.

Inside David Ellison's plan to build a Netflix killer

Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison is looking to battle Netflix by bringing on short-form video and hiring key executives away from Amazon.

www.businessinsider.com

An interesting article.

You can’t beat Netflix, David. Just give up already.

 

[harry580]

yeah, the Ellisons are using Elon musk pay book to ruin hollywood

 

[Moe]

You can’t beat Netflix, David. Just give up already.

Exactly, become Netflix killer? That's extremely pipe dream for sure because Paramount needs to rely on license a lot of their contents out to have generous revenues rather than keep their contents in closed ecosystem.

Over $110 billions or more in debt? That's very Kmart level at finest and they will be in struggle for very long time. If debt still grows, Paramount must make a steep cut to limit the debt growth. 30 films per year? debt would go up so fast since not many people go to movie theaters.

At least Paramount said they’re keeping both their and Warner Bros.' film lots.

You cannot take Ellison's promise, tho.

Likely scenario would be mostly empty or leased space for one studio.

Does David Ellison have a long-term contingency plan in case the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery fails, or Paramount is forced by regulators to make major concessions (e.g. divesting/spinning off assets, etc.)?

It can be possible but their plan is likely in closed door and it is not known.

Like others said, I believe that Ellison plan to keep Paramount if merger with WBD failed but Lowell said Larry Ellison could sell his investment in Paramount to Sony.

and WBD would complete the split soon after merger fails.

 

[Elijah Abrams]

You cannot take Ellison's promise, tho.

Likely scenario would be mostly empty or leased space for one studio.

The articles did say that some space at the Paramount lot will be leased out.

 

[Moe]

The articles did say that some space at the Paramount lot will be leased out.

It depends on financial performance from post-merger and if it don't go well, they will increase the space to be leased out.

Nothing is written on stone.

You see about what Ellison said is very over ambitions, so it is just like AOL and AT&T said WB would be wonderful after merger but it is opposite.