Just weeks after finalizing its own merger, the newly formed Paramount Skydance is preparing a takeover offer for Warner Bros. Discovery, a move that would create a media juggernaut, as first reported by The Wall Street Journal. Backed by the immense fortune of the Ellison family, the potential deal would consolidate two of Hollywood’s most storied studios and their massive streaming operations.
The Ellison effect: The bid is fueled by the personal wealth of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, who this week briefly became the world’s richest person. News of the potential offer sent Warner Bros. Discovery’s stock soaring nearly 30%, reflecting immediate investor enthusiasm for a consolidation play.
Preemptive play: The move appears strategically timed to preempt Warner Bros. Discovery’s own plan to split into two separate companies by 2026. That separation is designed to hive off its prized studio and streaming assets from its declining linear networks, and an immediate bid for the entire company would prevent a bidding war from breaking out over those coveted assets once they are separated.
Regulatory red flags: The proposed tie-up is already drawing sharp scrutiny from Washington, with Senator Elizabeth Warren calling it a "dangerous concentration of power." The recent Skydance-Paramount transaction was approved only after Ellison agreed to settle a lawsuit with Donald Trump and end the company’s diversity programs, and putting frequent Trump target CNN under Ellison's control would add a charged political layer to any review.
A successful deal would create an entertainment colossus with an unparalleled IP library, from Star Trek and Mission: Impossible to Harry Potter and the DC universe, creating a formidable new challenger to Netflix and Disney.
The potential merger comes as the streaming wars continue to heat up, with Paramount recently poaching the hit series South Park from HBO Max. A combined entity would also create a sports media powerhouse with rights to the NFL, MLB, and UFC, posing a direct challenge to ESPN's dominance. The move by Paramount may have been timed to preempt other suitors, as analysts had previously pegged Netflix as the "most compelling buyer" for Warner's prized assets.
