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☆ Stocks making the biggest premarket moves: GameStop, AMC, Alibaba, Sony and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Check out the companies making the biggest moves in premarket trading: Meme stocks -- GameStop soared 120%, adding to the 74.4% it gained Monday , after the man who fueled the 2021 GameStop frenzy "Roaring Kitty" posted online for the first time in about three years. Shares of AMC popped 106%, while Reddit and Robinhood added 4% and nearly 6%, respectively. Alibaba -- U.S.-listed shares shed nearly 5% after the Chinese e-commerce giant reported an 86% drop in profits for its fiscal fourth quarter . However, Alibaba beat revenue expectations, coming in at 221.9 billion Chinese yuan ($30.7 billion) versus the LSEG consensus estimate of 219.66 billion yuan. Sony -- U.S.-listed shares added 3% after the PlayStation maker reported quarterly revenue of 3.5 trillion yen, topping the 2.89 trillion yen, per LSEG.

Persons: Kitty, Robinhood, FactSet, —, Jesse Pound, Alex Harring Organizations: GameStop, AMC, Home, LSEG, Revenue, Sony, PlayStation, Vodafone, Walmart, Wall Street Journal, United Airlines, Novo Nordisk

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: AMC, GameStop, Sony, Planet Fitness and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading: Meme stocks — Meme stocks roared for a second day with GameStop surging more than 65% and AMC popping over 70%. AMC's Tuesday rally came even after the movie theater said it completed a $250 million stock sale during Monday's wild trading. Sony — U.S.-listed shares jumped 5.3% after quarterly revenue came in at 3.5 trillion yen, topping the consensus expectation of 2.89 trillion yen from analysts polled by LSEG. On Holding — The shoe maker jumped 16% after first-quarter earnings came in well ahead of analysts' expectations. Boston Beer Company — Shares added 1% after the beer brewer was upgraded by Jefferies to buy from hold.

Persons: United, Newell Brands, Roth, —, Yun Li, Michelle Fox, Samantha Subin, Hakyung Kim, Brian Evans Organizations: GameStop, AMC, Sony —, LSEG, Vodafone — U.S, United Airlines —, Barclays, Boston Beer, Jefferies, JPMorgan Locations: Europe

☆ ‘Jeopardy!’ is coming to Amazon Prime with a different version
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Amazon’s Prime Video has ordered a spin-off of the classic, called “Pop Culture Jeopardy!,” which marks the first-time “Jeopardy!” has created a version exclusively for a major streaming service. The categories will draw from pop culture, including music, sports, Broadway — and even just Zendaya. A premiere date wasn’t announced, but episodes will stream exclusively on Prime Video, which has about more than 200 million global subscribers. “Pop Culture Jeopardy!” isn’t the first spin-off of the quiz show to go streaming: A short-lived “Sports Jeopardy!” was released about a decade ago for Sony’s streaming service Crackle. To help offset that, ads were introduced this year to all Prime Video viewers.

Persons: ”, “, Michael Davies, wasn’t Organizations: New, New York CNN, Amazon, Broadway Locations: New York, It’s

☆ Sony reports 7% drop in annual profit as PlayStation 5 sales miss trimmed target
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The company also narrowly missed its forecast for unit sales of its flagship PlayStation 5 gaming console for the full year. Here's how Sony did in the March quarter versus LSEG consensus estimates:Revenue: 3.5 trillion yen ($22.4 billion) versus 2.89 trillion yen expected. Operating profit: 229.4 billion yen versus 236.81 billion yen expected. Sony's operating profit for the full year, though, came in at 1.2 trillion yen, down 7% year-over-year. That's slightly lower than the revised 21 million unit target that Sony gave investors in February.

Organizations: Sony, PlayStation

☆ OpenAI may have finally cracked the code on voice interactions with AI
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In today's big story, everyone's talking — literally — about the big update for OpenAI's ChatGPT that could make your job a lot easier . AdvertisementOpenAI may have finally cracked the code on voice interactions with AI, though. OpenAI says GPT-4o's average response to audio inputs is 320 milliseconds, which is on par with a typical human-to-human conversation. "They've essentially made text input almost be the barbaric form of communicating with ChatGPT (or any AI) now," the developer said. ChatGPT, Tyler Le/BIOpenAI's big reveal shows the shockwaves the startup keeps sending through the tech world.

Persons: —, Here's, ChatGPT Holger Scheibe, Tyler Le, OpenAI, Alex Bitter, They've, ChatGPT, Katie Notopoulos, Siri, it's, Apple that's, Andrew Burton, Justin Sullivan, Rebecca Zisser, Tim Cook's, Tesla, Mark Zuckerberg, he's, Nathan Congleton, Melinda, Gates, French Gates, she'd, Melinda Gates, Bill Gates, Doug McMillon, It's, Dan DeFrancesco, Jordan Parker Erb, Hallam Bullock, George Glover Organizations: Service, Teen, Business, HAL, Hollywood, Apple, Apple's Worldwide, Conference, GPT, Google, Microsoft, Washington, Getty, Tesla, Melinda Gates Foundation, University of Arkansas, Depot, Sony, Disney, Cannes Locations: NBCU, New York, London

☆ 'All That' star Lori Beth Denberg says Nickelodeon's Dan Schneider showed her porn, initiated phone sex, and lashed out on set
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Kate Taylor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Schneider told Denberg that he should have been the one to have that conversation. "I feel like that is the first time he preyed on me," Denberg told Business Insider. "Nobody thinks it is their responsibility" to protect the people working at Nickelodeon, Denberg said. According to Denberg, Schneider would refuse to write her jokes for the segment until the last minute, forcing her to perform live without rehearsing. Denberg said she cheered up Bynes, then told Schneider that he couldn't change "the little girl's lines on the spot."

Persons: Lori Beth Denberg, Dan Schneider, Nickelodeon's, Denberg, Schneider, Drake, Josh, Jenny Kilgen, Lori Beth, it's, she's, Albie Hecht, Brian Robbins, Amanda Bynes, costars, Jeff Kravitz, Farah Alvin, Denberg's, It's, Robbins, Angelique Bates, Bates, Bynes, Dan, gaunt, Alvin, Amanda, Gioncarlo Valentine, Schneider hadn't, Schneider's, Hecht, SpongeBob, Kate Taylor, Mimi Meyer Organizations: Business, Nickelodeon, Schneider, BI, Robbins Productions, Nickelodeon's, Nickelodeon Entertainment, New York Times, Paramount, Paramount Global, Maxine Productions, Sony Pictures Locations: Orlando, Los Angeles, York

☆ These stocks are set to gain the most over the next month, according to an AI model
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Jesse Pound | In Jesse-Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

One of those programs is iFi Ai, an investment information firm powered by IBM's Watsonx. IFi AI takes in a wide range of market signals and data to make projections about where individual stocks will go next. One of the outputs from the iFi AI model is a 30-day projected price return. The iFi AI model sees a gain of 23%. The iFi AI model is not the only entity bullish on Schwab.

Persons: Ai, IBM's Watsonx, Ron Insana, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, iFi, Piper Sandler, Matthew Clark, Charles Schwab, Schwab Organizations: CNBC, Paramount Global, Paramount, Sony, Skydance Media, Western Alliance

☆ Inflation data commands center stage next week and provides a test for the market rally
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

All three major U.S. stock indexes closed higher for the week, led by the Dow Jones Industrial Average . The Nasdaq Composite added 1.14% while the S & P 500 advanced 1.85% in a relatively quiet week of economic updates. Within the portfolio, Disney and Wynn Resorts released quarterly numbers; we took issue with the stock reaction to both reports. It also raises the stakes around major economic releases, such as next week's consumer inflation report. In the week ahead, earnings season continues — headlined by Walmart on Thursday — and inflation data will dominate the economic calendar.

Persons: We've, Jim Cramer, Dow Jones, we'll, We'll, Stanley Black, Decker, Jack, JACK, Arcutis, Spero, JD.com, Armour, Jim Cramer's, Jim, Carlo Allegri Organizations: Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Disney, Wynn Resorts, Procter, Procter & Gamble, Walmart, CPI, PPI, Club, Home Depot, Biotech Corporation, Music Entertainment, Central Puerto S.A, TeraWulf Inc, Paysafe Group Holdings, QuickLogic Corporation, Kopin Corp, Royalty Corp, Agilysys Inc, Crop Solutions Corp, Inovio Biomedical, Intercorp Financial, Lithium, Argentina ) Corp, Sea, Sony Group Corporation, SONY, Holding, HudBay Minerals, Autolus Therapeutics, Game Technology, Nu Holdings, Dragonfly Energy Holdings Corp, Bakkt Holdings, Prestige Consumer Healthcare, SilverCrest Metals, Inc, Mining Corp, Acurx Pharmaceuticals, Cresco Labs, Dole plc, DOLE, Arcos Dorados Holdings, ARCO, Cisco Systems, Grab Holdings, Copa Holdings S.A, Technologies, Iris Energy, KORE Group, Super, Spero Therapeutics, ZTO, Baidu, Deere & Company, NICE, Lightspeed Commerce, Ship Lease, Canada Goose Holdings, Drainage Systems, Consolidated Water Co, Outlook Therapeutics, Despegar.com, Corp, DXC Technology Company, Flowers Foods, Bruker Corporation, WYNN, CNBC, Foods Locations: Procter &, Central, Cayman, Lithium Americas, Argentina, Manhattan, New York City

Learn moreWhether you have yet to buy a Mother's Day gift or just want to shop this weekend, Best Buy has you covered. The retailer is holding another three-day event, so we've gathered the best Best Buy deals the store has to offer this week. Apple is also a prevalent player in this week's Best Buy deals, with the 2nd Gen AirPods down to only $80 and the 2nd Gen Apple Pencil down to $79. Best Buy sale quicklinks Appliances : Get up to 30% off major appliances. Shop at Best BuyThis is just a small taste of this weekend's top Best Buy sale picks.

Persons: we've, AirPods, It's, Dyson, JBL, It’s, Mason Organizations: Business, JBL, 2nd, Apple, Canon, Sony, Fujifilm, iPad, Apple Watch

Splitting the Paramount empireEver since Sony Pictures Entertainment and Apollo Global Management expressed interest in buying Paramount Global, a big question has loomed over the potential $26 billion deal: What would they do with the company? The answer: Break it up, write The Times’s Ben Mullin and DealBook’s Lauren Hirsch. Sony and Apollo would keep Paramount Pictures. Paramount Pictures would become part of a joint venture controlled by Sony, with Apollo taking a minority stake in the new entity that it could eventually sell to Sony or to another buyer. The venture would also keep Paramount’s library of films and TV shows, as well as the rights to characters like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Persons: Ben Mullin, DealBook’s Lauren Hirsch, “ Organizations: Sony Pictures Entertainment, Apollo Global Management, Paramount Global, Sony, Apollo, Paramount Pictures, Paramount

Shop at Amazon Shop at Walmart Shop at Best Buy What we like Check mark icon A check mark. Shop at Amazon Shop at Best Buy Shop at Samsung What we like Check mark icon A check mark. Unfortunately, the S95D's matte screen has one notable side effect: it hurts black-level performance in a bright room. In contrast, the elevated black levels caused by the S95D's matte screen are more pronounced and easier to notice. AdvertisementSamsung S95D vs. S95C: Price and availabilityThe S95C currently costs a lot less than the S95D.

Persons: I've, Slim, Steven Cohen, it's Organizations: Business, Samsung, Shop, Walmart Shop, Dolby, Sony, Amazon, Samsung TV

☆ Sony and Apollo’s Plan for Paramount: Break It Up
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Benjamin Mullin | Lauren Hirsch | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Shari Redstone helped build Paramount Global into a sprawling media empire, but if Sony Pictures Entertainment and private-equity giant Apollo Global Management succeed in acquiring it, they plan to break it all up, according to three people familiar with the matter. Paramount Pictures — home to blockbusters like “The Godfather,” “Top Gun” and the “Mission Impossible” franchise — would be combined with Sony’s existing business. They have not yet outlined this plan to Paramount or its advisers. CBS and Paramount have been controlled by the Redstone family for decades, since the media mogul Sumner Redstone assembled the sprawling conglomerate in a series of audacious deals. His daughter, Shari Redstone, championed a 2019 deal to reunite it through a merger with CBS, and remains Paramount’s controlling shareholder.

Persons: Shari Redstone, SpongeBob, Sumner Redstone Organizations: Paramount, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Apollo Global Management, CBS, MTV, Paramount Pictures, Sony

☆ Nintendo says Switch successor will be unveiled by March 2025
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Jerome Taylor | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —Nintendo says it plans to announce the followup to its popular Switch console by March 2025. “We will make an announcement about the successor to Nintendo Switch within this fiscal year,” Shuntaro Furukawa, the company’s president, wrote on X on Tuesday. “It will have been over nine years since we announced the existence of Nintendo Switch back in March 2015.”The announcement will be welcome news to fans who have been salivating for years over the prospect of a potential Switch successor, which Nintendo bosses have remained tight lipped about. The company expects to sell 13.5 million Switch units in the current financial year, according to Reuters, compared to sales of 15.7 million units last year. There’s the Nintendo Switch OLED and its rich, immersive screen; the standard Nintendo Switch with its tried-and-true hybrid design; and the cheaper and smaller Nintendo Switch Lite for those who mainly play on the go.

Persons: “, ” Shuntaro Furukawa Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — Nintendo, Nintendo, Reuters, Sony, SONY, Microsoft Locations: Hong Kong

☆ Stocks making the biggest premarket moves: Berkshire Hathaway, Paramount, Spirit Air, Victoria's Secret and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Paramount — Shares popped 2.4% following a report that the owner of Paramount Pictures and CBS Entertainment Group began formal acquisition negotiations with a group led by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Apollo. Morgan Stanley downgraded Victoria's Secret to underweight and cut its price target, citing expectations for negative EPS revisions and a tough second half for specialty retail. EHang Holdings — The autonomous aircraft stock advanced 3.2% on the heels of a bullish initiation of research coverage from Morgan Stanley. United States Steel — Shares of the Pittsburgh-based steelmaker rose more than 2% after Morgan Stanley upgraded it to overweight from equal weight. U.S. Steel shares have room to rise thanks to internal improvements, even if the Nippon Steel buyout deal collapses, Morgan Stanley said in a note.

Persons: Warren Buffett, Li, Tyson, Howard Shultz, Morgan Stanley, Coinbase, Bausch, Johnson, —, Sarah Min, Tanaya Macheel, Jesse Pound, Michelle Fox, Samantha Subin Organizations: Berkshire Hathaway, Paramount, Paramount Pictures, CBS Entertainment Group, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Spirit Airlines, Li Auto, StreetAccount, Starbucks, EHang Holdings, United States Steel, . Steel, Nippon Steel, Barclays, UBS Locations: Berkshire, China, Pittsburgh

☆ Watch CNBC's ful linterview with Apollo Global CEO Marc Rowan
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWatch CNBC's ful linterview with Apollo Global CEO Marc RowanMarc Rowan, Apollo Global CEO, joins 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss the company's partnership with Sony in merger talks with Paramount, state of the private market, private credit, rise of college campus protests, and more.

Persons: Marc Rowan Marc Rowan Organizations: Apollo Global, Sony, Paramount

☆ Apollo Global CEO Marc Rowan on Paramount merger talks, investing in private markets
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailApollo Global CEO Marc Rowan on Paramount merger talks, investing in private marketsMarc Rowan, Apollo Global CEO, joins 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss the company's partnership with Sony in merger talks with Paramount, importance of private markets for investors, state of private credit, rise of college campus protests, and more.

Persons: Marc Rowan Organizations: Apollo, Paramount, Apollo Global, Sony

☆ Why Warren Buffett's Paramount bet may have cost him $1.5 billion
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Famed investor Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway placed a $2.7 billion bet on Paramount in 2022. But when someone who's worth an estimated $132 billion says "quite a bit of money," it's probably a very big amount. The math: In 2022, Berkshire accumulated 91 million shares of Paramount B shares; Barron's estimates he paid "more than $30" per share. AdvertisementThat left Berkshire with another 63.3 million Paramount shares at the beginning of 2024, and sometime between then and Saturday they have sold off the rest. Add all that up, and it looks like Berkshire sold its Paramount stake for $1.2 billion after paying $2.7 billion for it — a $1.5 billion loss.

Persons: Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, hasn't, — Buffett, —, Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett, we've, Berkshire Hathaway hasn't, Berkshire Organizations: Paramount, Service, Sony, Apollo, Berkshire, Bloomberg Locations: Berkshire

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Berkshire Hathaway, Micron, Tyson Foods, Spirit Airlines and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Spirit also forecast second-quarter revenue between $1.2 billion and $1.34 billion, below a FactSet estimate of $1.46 billion. Paramount — Shares popped 3.3% following a report that the owner of Paramount Pictures and CBS Entertainment Group began formal acquisition negotiations with a group led by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Apollo . U.S. Steel shares have room to rise due to internal improvements, even if the Nippon Steel buyout deal collapses, Morgan Stanley said in a note. Morgan Stanley said the market is likely overlooking the Canadian-based company's progress on improving core profit margins. Morgan Stanley downgraded the intimate apparel maker to underweight due to expectations for negative earnings per share revisions.

Persons: Baird, Warren Buffett, Morgan Stanley, Tyson, StreetAccount, Bausch, Coinbase, Li Auto, Alex Harring, Jesse Pound, Samantha Subin, Hakyung Kim, Sarah Min, Matthew Staver Organizations: Berkshire Hathaway, Berkshire, Micron Technology, Spirit Airlines, Paramount, Paramount Pictures, CBS Entertainment Group, Sony Pictures Entertainment, United States Steel, . Steel, Nippon Steel, Medical Properties, Health Care, EHang Holdings, Barclays, Micron Technology Inc, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: The Boise , Idaho, Berkshire, Pittsburgh, China, Weibo, Boise , Idaho

☆ Sony and Apollo in Talks to Acquire Paramount
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Benjamin Mullin | Lauren Hirsch | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Paramount has decided to formally open negotiations with a bidding group led by Sony Pictures Entertainment and the private equity giant Apollo, according to three people familiar with the matter. The move comes after a period of exclusive talks with the Hollywood studio Skydance lapsed on Friday night. A special committee of Paramount’s board of directors met Saturday and signed off on beginning deal talks with Sony and Apollo, which last week submitted a letter of interest valuing the company at $26 billion, the people said. The committee also decided to push for further negotiations with Skydance, a studio founded by the technology scion David Ellison. Any deal between the Sony group and Paramount faces hurdles.

Persons: David Ellison Organizations: Paramount, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Hollywood, Sony, Skydance, Nickelodeon, MTV, CBS, Paramount Pictures Locations: Japan, United States

Paramount’s proposed merger with Skydance has been the most tumultuous media deal in years. Now it has taken yet another turn after the exclusivity period for negotiations expired without an agreement in hand. Paramount shareholders grumbled that granting exclusivity was a mistake, and that the company should have engaged with Apollo instead. This week, the special committee told Skydance that it was letting the exclusivity period lapse. But it does allow Paramount to open up negotiations with Apollo and Sony Pictures Entertainment, which joined Apollo’s bid.

Persons: Paramount’s, Skydance, David Ellison — Organizations: Apollo Global Management, Paramount, Skydance, Apollo, Sony Pictures Entertainment

Shari Redstone, chair of Paramount Global, attends the Allen & Co. Media and Technology Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, on Tuesday, July 11, 2023. The consortium has been waiting for word from Paramount's special committee on whether the panel will recommend its bid to acquire the company to Redstone. Spokespeople for Skydance, Redstone's National Amusements and Paramount's special committee declined to comment on Friday. Previously, Redstone rejected an offer by Apollo in favor of exclusive talks with Skydance. Redstone has preferred a deal that would keep Paramount together, as Skydance's offer would, CNBC previously reported.

Persons: Shari Redstone, David Ellison's Skydance, CNBC's David Faber, Ellison, Spokespeople Organizations: Paramount Global, Allen, Co . Media, Technology Conference, Skydance, Apollo Global Management, Sony Pictures, RedBird Capital, KKR, Paramount, Apollo, Sony, CNBC, Redstone Locations: Sun Valley , Idaho

Every weekend, the store offers a wide variety of deals on top products, so I've gathered the best Best Buy deals available now for you to shop. Whether you need a quick gift or want to upgrade your own tech, keep scrolling to find the best Best Buy deals you can shop below. Best Buy sale quicklinks Apple Watches : Get up to $100 off select models. Shop at Best BuyThis is just a small taste of this weekend's top Best Buy sale picks. Check out the full selection over at the Best Buy website.

Persons: I've, — Organizations: Business, Apple, Lenovo, Samsung, LG, Sony, Sporting, Barista, GE Gaming, GE

The development throws up a major roadblock for Skydance, a movie studio that has been negotiating a complicated deal to merge with Paramount for months. Many Paramount investors have come out against that deal, saying it would enrich Shari Redstone, the company’s board chair, at the expense of other shareholders. The 30-day period for exclusive talks with a special committee of Paramount’s board expires at the end of Friday. The company could wait for Paramount to re-engage in negotiations, could make a higher bid or could walk away. The company is wary of being used by Paramount to drive up the price for another bidder.

Persons: Shari, David Ellison Organizations: Paramount, Hollywood, MTV, Nickelodeon, RedBird Capital Partners, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Apollo Global Management

Spokespeople for Paramount, Redstone's National Amusements, the special committee and Skydance declined to comment. Sony Pictures and private equity firm Apollo Global Management have sent a letter to the Paramount Global board expressing interest in acquiring the company for about $26 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. Paramount Global shares jumped more than 12% on the news that Sony and Apollo submitted a letter formalizing its interest, earlier reported by The New York Times and Wall Street Journal. A $26 billion offer for Paramount Global values the company higher than the company's current $22 billion enterprise value. Redstone could also argue she's more comfortable with pushing forward at Paramount Global without a sale.

Persons: Skydance, hasn't, David Ellison's Skydance, Shari Redstone, It's, Redstone's, Bob Bakish Organizations: Paramount, Sony, Apollo, Skydance, RedBird Capital, KKR, Sony Pictures, Apollo Global Management, Paramount Global, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Hollywood, Matrix Asset Advisors, Aspen Sky Trust, Redstone Locations: Apollo

Sony Pictures Entertainment and the private equity giant Apollo Global Management have formally expressed interest in acquiring Paramount for roughly $26 billion, according to two people familiar with the matter, a move that adds drama to an already chaotic deal making process. The nonbinding expression of interest, sent in a letter this week, comes as Paramount approaches an agreed-upon Friday deadline for the expiration of an exclusive negotiating period with Skydance, a Hollywood studio run by the tech scion David Ellison. Paramount has been in talks with Skydance for months, discussing a complicated transaction that would involve a merger and an investment from the private equity firm Redbird Capital Partners. The new, joint expression of interest would make Sony a significant majority and controlling shareholder and Apollo a minority shareholder. The proposed all-cash acquisition may appeal to Paramount shareholders who have come out against the Skydance deal over concerns it benefits the company’s controlling shareholder, Shari Redstone, at the expense of others.

Persons: David Ellison, Skydance, Shari Redstone Organizations: Sony Pictures Entertainment, Apollo Global Management, Paramount, Redbird Capital Partners, Sony Locations: Apollo

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