WBD Acquisition Thread

[John Pannozzi]

Can’t wait until the company becomes official later this year and they cancel, no wait, delete and erase and purge all history of Looney Tunes for tax write offs.

When you say things like this, it makes me highly suspect that you're mentally ill and/or clinically depressed. And I do not say this to be mean.

Paw Patrol is Paramount’s new flagship brand. Paramount will run an IP only mandate. No more original ideas.

Spin Master owns Paw Patrol, not Paramount Skydance.

 

[Camping My TV Set]

When you say things like this, it makes me highly suspect that you're mentally ill and/or clinically depressed. And I do not say this to be mean.

Spin Master owns Paw Patrol, not Paramount Skydance.

Spin Master is very lenient when it comes to letting Nickelodeon stamp its branding all over Paw Patrol, so I understand the confusion

 

[awinger24]

When you say things like this, it makes me highly suspect that you're mentally ill and/or clinically depressed. And I do not say this to be mean.

Spin Master owns Paw Patrol, not Paramount Skydance.

This merger is the last straw and seeing the classic shorts on Tubi has helped my availability. Keep buying everything from WB while they last.

 

[JulianRO]

Even for an average person it sounds impossible to release 30 movies per year, as Ellison promised.

 

[Moe]

This merger is the last straw and seeing the classic shorts on Tubi has helped my availability. Keep buying everything from WB while they last.

Whether about M&A is approved or not is not known until around one year and just like AT&T-T-Mobile, Sinclair-Tribune, Comcast-Time Warner and Albertsons-Kroger M&A turned out to be failure after one year.

It could happen to Paramount-WBD too if DOJ goes against the odd or Ellison end up get sued, or difficulty with regulators in other countries. The incentives for Ellison got much less and less when M&A review continue to drag longer to make more expensive, so it can put the pressure on his dad to decide the fate about whether fight over merger should continues.

After all, M&A is unpredictable and you don't know if it would be approved or not, even use political as cheat sheet don't help after looked about what happened to Sinclair-Tribune under Trump's watch because antitrust regulators have to follow the law. If regulator don't follow the law, so state attorney generals have solid case to block the merger and incentive for Ellison goes nonexistent when they run out of time.

Media don't know about outcome of M&A, no matter about how bad is media circus.

You need to calm down and let regulators review the merger. Don't use your projection that is based on current political state of federal government because merger can be stopped outside of federal regulators.

I'm just laugh at media for doing at the circus, also Ellison love media attention.

 

[JulianRO]

Paramount / Warner Bros. Discovery merger inquiry

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is seeking views on the anticipated acquisition by Paramount Skydance Corporation of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.

www.gov.uk

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-13/paramount-s-warner-deal-expected-to-face-uk-competition-probe

PSKY was invited to comment for the CMA (UK regulators) regarding the WBD acquisition, before the CMA starts reviewing it by itself.

PSKY has two weeks to comment, until April 27.

 

[RandomMe]

Spin Master owns Paw Patrol, not Paramount Skydance.

I thought Nelvana was involved in producing the show

 

[JulianRO]

Joaquin Phoenix, Ben Stiller, Kristen Stewart and 1,000-Plus Hollywood Names Oppose Paramount-Warner Deal in Open Letter: ‘Block the Merger’

Joaquin Phoenix, Ben Stiller, Kristen Stewart and more stars signed an open letter opposing Paramount's pending Warner Bros. Discovery purchase.

variety.com

Now that's a "significant" move.

 

[GRPHX]

Joaquin Phoenix, Ben Stiller, Kristen Stewart and 1,000-Plus Hollywood Names Oppose Paramount-Warner Deal in Open Letter: ‘Block the Merger’

Joaquin Phoenix, Ben Stiller, Kristen Stewart and more stars signed an open letter opposing Paramount's pending Warner Bros. Discovery purchase.

variety.com

Now that's a "significant" move.

It won't work

 

[JulianRO]

Not in vain I placed the word in quotes.

 

[zakawer2]

But Joaquin Phoenix and Noah Wyle (both of whom have very important and iconic starring roles in Joker (2019) and The Pitt respectively) are among those opposed to the merger!

 

[JulianRO]

The full list of signatures:

Open Letter: 5,000+ Industry Leaders Oppose the Paramount–WBD Merger

Glenn Close, Ben Stiller, Jane Fonda, Mark Ruffalo, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and more than 5,000 filmmakers and industry professionals call on regulators to block the deal.

blockthemerger.com

 

[Elijah Abrams]

Paramount / Warner Bros. Discovery merger inquiry

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is seeking views on the anticipated acquisition by Paramount Skydance Corporation of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.

www.gov.uk

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-13/paramount-s-warner-deal-expected-to-face-uk-competition-probe

PSKY was invited to comment for the CMA (UK regulators) regarding the WBD acquisition, before the CMA starts reviewing it by itself.

PSKY has two weeks to comment, until April 27.

The CMA is even letting the public (in Britain) voice their thoughts on the merger.

UK Regulators Ready Investigation of Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger

The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority, which has not launched a formal investigation, is asking for the public's comment by April 27

www.thewrap.com

 

[RandomMe]

The CMA is even letting the public (in Britain) voice their thoughts on the merger.

UK Regulators Ready Investigation of Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger

The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority, which has not launched a formal investigation, is asking for the public's comment by April 27

www.thewrap.com

I hope there will be many people against it

 

[GRPHX]

This might be the worst media merger in the world. The service offered by HBO Max is still absolutely terrible. And the Warner's library distribution too.

 

[JulianRO]

I said this long ago, but I'm gonna say it again: the chance for this merger to end up like AOLTW are very high.

Don't be surprised if Paramount or WBD decides to spin off itself from the combined company in a few years if they see themselves that the acquisition harmed both companies a lot more than they expected.

 

[Insidus]

I said this long ago, but I'm gonna say it again: the chance for this merger to end up like AOLTW are very high.

Don't be surprised if Paramount or WBD decides to spin off itself from the combined company in a few years if they see themselves that the acquisition harmed both companies a lot more than they expected.

They'll probably take the least popular assets and make them form part of one company with the winning one forming part of another.

 

[JulianRO]

Looks like the number of signatures has surpassed 2000:

Florence Pugh, Pedro Pascal and More Join Fight to Block Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger as Open Letter Surpasses 2,000 Hollywood Names

Florence Pugh and Pedro Pascal have joined the fight to block the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger as the open letter surpasses 2,000 Hollywood names.

variety.com

 

[John Pannozzi]

It won't work

I doubt it'll hurt, either.

I do think Damon Lindelof's post explaining his opposition to is interesting. He even admits that he's enjoying working under David Ellison in the past, but is apprehensive about this merger nonetheless:

Lanterns EP Damon Lindelof Is No Fan of Paramount/Warner Bros Merger

Damon Lindelof (Watchmen, Lanterns) spoke out against the Paramount/Warner Bros. Discovery merger, explaining why it was important to do so.

bleedingcool.com

 

[Space Cadet]

I doubt it'll hurt, either.

I do think Damon Lindelof's post explaining his opposition to is interesting. He even admits that he's enjoying working under David Ellison in the past, but is apprehensive about this merger nonetheless:

Lanterns EP Damon Lindelof Is No Fan of Paramount/Warner Bros Merger

Damon Lindelof (Watchmen, Lanterns) spoke out against the Paramount/Warner Bros. Discovery merger, explaining why it was important to do so.

bleedingcool.com

Basically, David Ellison always has enough on his plate with Paramount Skydance, he doesn't need to gobble up another studio.