WBD Acquisition Thread

[harry580]

Always glad I figured him out pretty early back when the bids for Paramount were happening in the first place. And was against him owning Paramount.

I agreed, I think he's about to become the next Elon Musk in terms of worst ceos over who made worst decisions, he should be liabled for it

 

[Camping My TV Set]

The people who want to challenge it have shot clock and need to work on it , make an iron case enough to get it slowed down. My main point is don't think that this is a normal merger attempt with normal actors and normal processes, it's not.

I mean, I agree, I just think it's also good to have a level head and not spiral into one's own emotions whenever a concerning headline pops up

 

[Elijah Abrams]

https://puck.news/inside-paramount-bros-49-billion-debt-blockbuster/

"But the Ellisons seem to be working hard to appease the credit-rating agencies’ concerns about the nearly $80 billion of the combined companies’ debt."

No comment.

This part of the article is concerning me, as if the California State AG will end up giving up:

It’s looking like nothing will stop the merger at this point. In fact, the PSKY crowd is now talking about closing around July 15, instead of late September, and has hired antitrust super-lawyer Jeffrey Kessler. If California Attorney General Rob Bonta hopes to block this thing, he’d better get a move on.
Bonta is trying. He has described the merger as having “red flags everywhere” and insisted it’s “not a done deal.” Earlier this month, he and other state A.G.s served PSKY with subpoenas and civil investigative demands. He’s after internal PSKY and WBD documents, especially pertaining to how PSKY will achieve the projected $6 billion in cost savings that David Ellison has referenced. He is also seeking access to documents and depositions related to the merger in D.O.J. files, even though the agency approved the deal.
There are additional indications that Bonta may seek a temporary restraining order from a judge, potentially blocking the deal from closing for a period of time. During a meeting last week with Hollywood executives, he reportedly said he had not made a “final decision” about whether to sue to block the deal, according to The New York Times. Regarding the Bonta rumblings, a spokesperson for PSKY said: “We have been cooperating with the state attorneys general in responding to their requests.” I think this is all sound and fury signifying nothing, but we shall see soon enough.

 

[harry580]

This part of the article is concerning me, as if the California State AG will end up giving up:

did you miss the point of this comment:
I mean, I agree, I just think it's also good to have a level head and not spiral into one's own emotions whenever a concerning headline pops up

 

[FanzotheBanjo]

Even though, Ukraine's approval should be the least of our problems, I fear that the DOJ's poise to approve the mega-merger could stifle the states', the UK's and the European Union's stance against said mega-merger in the future.

 

[RandomMe]

I worry this will be the most fast tracked merger in history. CNN folding into CBS News will mean the death of independent journalism.

CBS News Radio shut down likely in anticipation for the worst-case scenario of the possible fall of CNN (as in merging the two)

 

[lowell]

Here, the conditions are right and there is a higher change of a rubber stamp forget the laws and proper conditions not being met. Why did they pick October? Elections are coming in November, and new congress in January might be much more oversight-y than what is there now. No one should be thinking the merger won't be approved, they should be thinking and acting as if it will be and the time to start suing and get in there before. Because Ellison and people will move quickly to make sure that once approval happens they will make sure it will be hard to tear apart if a court changes things. Nexstar did the same thing, that Friday the court made a decision was the closest because they were going quick into absorbing Tegna.

The people who want to challenge it have shot clock and need to work on it , make an iron case enough to get it slowed down. My main point is don't think that this is a normal merger attempt with normal actors and normal processes, it's not.

Always glad I figured him out pretty early back when the bids for Paramount were happening in the first place. And was against him owning Paramount.

Speaking of elections, greasing the wheels for the Ellisons in exchange for Skydance providing Trump admin-friendly coverage is why this isn't normal at all .

Larry & David personally made these guarantees of changes to CNN in the same way CBS News's editorial direction was realigned during their the Oval Office visits and that's why they're being served what they want on a platter.

That also includes paying the WH a $10B brokering payment for the Ellisons buying part of TikTok US.

https://puck.news/inside-paramount-bros-49-billion-debt-blockbuster/

"But the Ellisons seem to be working hard to appease the credit-rating agencies’ concerns about the nearly $80 billion of the combined companies’ debt."

No comment.

There's also more details on what their debt slashing pledges were promising the banks and the credit agencies:

"In a recent filing with the S.E.C., the Ellisons disclosed that Paramount “communicated” to various ratings agencies that it is the Ellisons’ and RedBird’s “plan and commitment” to “deliver below a net debt to adjusted EBITDA multiple of 3.75x by fiscal year 2028 and a net debt to adjusted EBITDA multiple of 3.0x by fiscal year 2029, and that they will take steps to deliver the deleveraging targets.”

The Ellisons also made commitments for PSKY/WBD to achieve $1.8 billion of the $6 billion of expected “synergies” in the first year post-closing and $4.2 billion in the second. Noted, David! (Usual disclosure: Through a recent transaction, RedBird is a minority investor in Puck; Zaz became a de minimis investor through the same deal.)"

I can definitely think of some unforseen macroeconomic events that's mentioned here:

"Barring an unforeseen macroeconomic event, the underwriters appear very optimistic that the $49 billion of new debt will be a blockbuster.

Of course, part of that enthusiasm derives from the fact that Larry Ellison—and, to a far lesser degree, RedBird Capital—has agreed to underwrite another $47 billion in new equity financing, no matter what.

Yes, Larry will be trying to get several Middle East sovereign wealth fund partners to help, but he is nevertheless on the hook for all the equity—thanks to David Zaslav & Co.’s clever negotiation with PSKY earlier this year. What’s more, if solvency ever becomes an issue during the financing, Larry has agreed to inject even more equity."

Whether they do happen in time for the pursuit's financing to completely collapse remains to be seen.

 

[awinger24]

Paramount closes in on WBD notification to EU | MLex | Specialist news and analysis on legal risk and regulation

David Ellison wants the European Union to approve the merger by mid-June. Could Ellison actually get what he wants?

 

[JulianRO]

Unless it's also reported by Reuters or Bloomberg I wouldn't trust that site.

On the other hand, the merger doesn't even appear on the European Commission's website, yet:

 

[awinger24]

Unless it's also reported by Reuters or Bloomberg I wouldn't trust that site.

On the other hand, the merger doesn't even appear on the European Commission's website, yet:
View attachment 318992

What if the merger actually gets approved and closed by mid July? Ellison could appoint the Trump family on their board of directors.

 

[JulianRO]

You continue to overthink what's happening. Seriously, this harms your mental health a lot.

WBD won't die instantly once PSKY buys it. Will the situation get worse? Maybe, and surely will. Will WBD ever recover? Absolutely. Even if it has to be separated from Paramount.

I also hate this acquisition but don't let it take over your life.

 

[awinger24]

You continue to overthink what's happening. Seriously, this harms your mental health a lot.

WBD won't die instantly once PSKY buys it. Will the situation get worse? Maybe, and surely will. Will WBD ever recover? Absolutely. Even if it has to be separated from Paramount.

I also hate this acquisition but don't let it take over your life.

I’m praying right now that they don’t fire Michael De Luca, Pam Abdy, Sam Register and Bill Damaschke. They kept WB afloat in recent years and I like to see their theatrical animation efforts rise again. No SpongeBob, Paw Patrol and other low effort IP garbage from PSKY.

 

[JulianRO]

Switch your interests to something else. As I said, don't let a simple acquisition take over your life.

 

[awinger24]

Switch your interests to something else. As I said, don't let a simple acquisition take over your life.

When are the AGs going to sue and block the merger? Looney Tunes is one of my last sources of happiness next to sports, food and there parks. I can’t let David Ellison take that away from me. I need to buy all of the DVDs and Blu-Rays before they go out of print forever.

 

[lowell]

Switch your interests to something else. As I said, don't let a simple acquisition take over your life.

This is why it sometimes unravels into the MM subreddit 2.0. here and I tend to avoid visiting when that happens. Even with no bits of news coming out, it just gets way too obsessive and they're not the only one that's acting like that, if you remember what happened several months ago.

That other individual said both on here and Reddit (through direct message) that I somehow ruined their view of Skydance as a savior because Ellison was hungry for both Paramount Global and WarnerDiscovery from the very beginning.

I just simply pointed out their double standard of giving special treatment for billionaire families like the Ellisons, the Redstones, and the Murdochs (still happening by the way, for the latter) and treating them as royalty while hissing at companies like Sony, Disney, etc.

I will call them out again and again whenever that happens at any moment or instance that intersects with my presence.

It's just ridiculous to see all this idolizing and glazing for billionaires who don't really care about what we do or say at the end of the day but at the same time screaming at companies.

 

[Pooky]

A reminder to please focus on the subject at hand, rather than commenting on each other. This particularly goes for actions that happened off site or in PMs.

 

[JulianRO]

Agreed, however I was just helping him, as he seems to overreact to what's happening.

But yes, back on-topic.

 

[FanzotheBanjo]

I'm not sure if somebody had already mentioned the news, but 7 days ago, Paramount had established a legal team (including Jeffery Kessler) to defend their up-coming merger with Warner Bros Discovery.

 

[JulianRO]

Yes, it was mentioned:

A

Post in thread 'WBD Acquisition Thread'

May 23, 2026

Paramount Assembles Legal Team to Defend Warner Bros. Deal

PSKY gets Jeffrey Kessler as their antitrust lawyer. Is the merger going to get fast tracked to July or September now?

• awinger24

• 

 

[RandomMe]

Unless it's also reported by Reuters or Bloomberg I wouldn't trust that site.

On the other hand, the merger doesn't even appear on the European Commission's website, yet:
View attachment 318992

Like I said days ago, with the European Commission, it must take longer.