Clash of Titans: Paramount Offers $108 Billion for Warner Bros. Empire, Challenging Netflix

The leadership of the media conglomerate Warner Bros. Discovery announced on Tuesday that the latest buyout offer from Paramount Skydance "may reasonably result" in a proposal more favorable than the current deal with the Netflix platform. The conglomerate led by David Ellison raised the bid to $31 per share, valuing the entire enterprise at a staggering $108.4 billion, including documented debt. In contrast to Netflix's earlier proposal, valued at $27.75 per share (approximately $83 billion) and covering only film studios and streaming platforms, Paramount's proposal concerns the acquisition of the entire empire. The package also includes a declining, yet still strong and influential, linear television segment, featuring channels such as the American CNN and the Polish TVN. To demonstrate its serious market intentions, Paramount pledged to cover a $2.8 billion penalty for the planned termination of its arrangements with Netflix, guaranteeing an additional $7 billion in compensation should government antitrust agencies block the transaction. 108,4 mld dol. — Total valuation of WBD in Paramount's offerCompeting Acquisition Offers for Warner Bros. Discovery: Price per Share: $27.75 (Netflix) → $31.00 (Paramount); Scope of Acquisition: Studios and streaming only → Entire enterprise (including TV networks); Transaction Value: approx. $82.7 billion → $108.4 billionThe consolidation of the American media market has been driven for over a decade by the so-called streaming wars. Traditional broadcasters are joining forces into giant conglomerates to effectively compete with tech giants possessing vast financial resources and global digital reach. The transaction quickly became the subject of intense power games at high levels. A group of eleven Republican state attorneys general sent a letter to the federal Department of Justice urging it to halt the allegedly destructive acquisition of assets by Netflix. Correspondence authors warn that such an industry merger will generate unprecedented market concentration, stifling operational innovation and drastically raising costs for consumers. Faced with mounting accusations, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos made a personal trip to initiate negotiations with key White House officials. The business atmosphere is further intensified directly by President Donald Trump, who categorically demands the removal of Netflix board advisor Susan Rice – a former close advisor to the competing Democratic Party leadership. „While we are confident in our standalone strategy and growth trajectory for Paramount, we view WBD as an accelerant to achieving these goals more quickly.” — David Ellison The Paramount board presented the latest financial reports for the fourth fiscal quarter of last year, further calming shareholders on the New York Stock Exchange. The corporation's consolidated revenues managed to beat forecasts and settled at the $8.15 billion mark. The leading video-on-demand infrastructure – Paramount+ – generated over $2.2 billion in ticket and subscription revenue, showing a robust ten percent year-over-year growth on a continuous basis. The user subscriber network reached a threshold of 79 million active subscribers. Despite the digital renaissance, the stable of flagship conventional brands lost five percent of its core earnings liquidity. Weaker subscription inflows and a reduction in the portfolio of political advertising investments weighed on the budget. The battle between the funds remains open, and acceptance of Ellison's documentation would give Netflix just four days for a potential legal countermove and to raise its own deposit stake.

Perspektywy mediów: Liberal-leaning media emphasize the unprecedented direct pressure from Donald Trump on independent business and attacks on a former Democratic Party advisor. Conservative outlets highlight the concerns of Republican state attorneys general about a dangerous Netflix monopoly favoring algorithmic censorship.