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☆ Why Shari Redstone called off talks with David Ellison’s Skydance on Paramount deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-12 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

After weeks of endless speculation about the future of Paramount Global, and more than half a year of grueling negotiations, the heiress called off talks with David Ellison’s Skydance Media, astonishing the industry and raising questions about the future of her family-controlled media empire. Why Redstone ultimately vetoed the deal is now up for discussion. Chief among them was whether the deal should have been subject to approval from a majority of the minority shareholders. And tried they did over the last several months, with the negotiations claiming several high-profile casualties along the way. Over the course of the last few months, Bob Bakish was ousted as chief executive of Paramount Global and four directors resigned from the company’s board.

Persons: Shari Redstone, David Ellison’s Skydance, Sumner, Skydance, Ellison, Charles Phillips, “ Shari, Bob Bakish, ”, Brian Robbins, George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy, NAI Organizations: New York CNN, Paramount Global, Amusements Inc, CNN, Redstone, Redbird Capital, Paramount’s Office, Company’s, Directors, Paramount, “ Locations: New York

☆ National Amusements stops discussions with Skydance on Paramount deal, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

National Amusements has stopped talks with Skydance on a proposed merger with Paramount Global , CNBC's David Faber reported Tuesday. The deal had been awaiting signoff from Redstone, CNBC previously reported. She has approved of their ideas and leadership during their short tenure, CNBC previously reported. This is why it was no surprise when Paramount and Skydance agreed to merger terms earlier in June, CNBC reported. Under those terms, which were still being ironed out up until Tuesday, Redstone would have received $2 billion for National Amusements, CNBC reported.

Persons: Skydance, CNBC's David Faber, Shari Redstone, David Ellison's Skydance, Spokespeople, Redbird, It's, George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy, Brian Robbins, Bob Bakish, Paramount's Organizations: Paramount Studios, Amusements, Paramount Global, Paramount, RedBird Capital, KKR, CNBC, National Amusements, Street, CBS, Paramount Media Networks, Paramount Pictures, Redstone, Apollo Global Management, Sony, Skydance Locations: Los Angeles , California, Redstone

☆ With Paramount's long and winding sales process coming to an end, here's what comes next for the media giant
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementThe media giant, which owns Paramount Pictures and CBS, has been in the news as an acquisition target since late last year. Skydance might not be as recognizable a name, but the company's owner and CEO David Ellison is. It's "is Paramount big enough to survive on its own?" The rush to corner the market on data centers is a move by Big Tech to secure the keys to the coming AI kingdom. Big Tech, finance, and consulting jobs are becoming harder to come by, upending the job search for young people.

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Rebecca Zisser, Warner, David Zaslav, Byron Allen, David Ellison, Larry Ellison, he's, Phillip Faraone, Peter Kafka, That's, Larry Ellison's, Alyssa Powell, Savita Subramanian, Gary Shilling, Kitty, Keith Gill, Arif Qazi, Jason Zander, they'll, Apple's, Siri, Dominic Bugatto, that's, Dan DeFrancesco, Jordan Parker Erb, Hallam Bullock, George Glover, Annie Smith Organizations: Service, Paramount, Business, Paramount Pictures, CBS, RedBird Capital Partners, KKR, Warner Bros . Discovery, Sony, Hollywood, Getty, Tech, Bank of America, Wall Street, GameStop, Google, Microsoft, Big Tech, BI, Washington Post, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Locations: China, India, Texas, New York, London

The current leadership of Paramount Global presented a go-forward plan at the company's annual shareholder meeting Tuesday in the event a sale of the company doesn't happen. Redstone has been supportive of the Office of the CEO leadership team that has run the company since former CEO Bob Bakish stepped down in late April. The plan that Paramount Global shareholders are hearing on Tuesday will essentially serve as Redstone's alternate option if she chooses not to sell. "We'll be thoughtful with how we deploy capital, with our world-class content being the priority," said Robbins during the presentation Tuesday. On Tuesday, Robbins said the company has been "aggressively exploring all options" when it comes to partnerships with other streamers.

Persons: George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy, Brian Robbins —, —, David Ellison's, Shari Redstone, Bob Bakish, Robbins, Cheeks, McCarthy Organizations: Paramount, SAG, Paramount Global, CBS, Paramount Media Networks, Paramount Pictures, Media, RedBird Capital, KKR, CNBC, Amusements Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S

☆ Internet addiction may harm the teen brain, MRI study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

A new study has possibly captured that objectively, finding that for teens diagnosed with internet addiction, signaling between brain regions important for controlling attention, working memory and more was disrupted. Specifically, internet ‘addiction,’ which was initially conjured up by (psychiatrist) Ivan K. Goldberg in 1995 as a joke. Das wasn’t involved in the study. “Overall, the mechanisms underlying internet addiction are more like an emerging pattern than a finished picture,” Chang said. “Similar to substance and gambling disorders, internet addiction rewires the brain, making it harder to resist internet related stimuli,” he added.

Persons: ”, Max Chang, ” Dr, David Ellis, Ellis, wasn’t, Ivan K, Goldberg, ’, ” Ellis, isn’t, Eva Telzer, ” Telzer, Smita Das, Das wasn’t, Caglar, Yildirim wasn’t, ” Chang, Chang, Yildirim, Das, ” Das, “ Organizations: CNN — Teens, Mental Health, Brigade, Family Service, University of Bath’s Institute for Digital Security, Disorders, University of North, Chapel Hill, Stanford Medicine, Khoury College of Computer Sciences, Northeastern University, American Psychiatric Association, APA Locations: San Francisco, United States, Asia, China, University of North Carolina, Chapel, California, Boston, APA’s

☆ A Hollywood mega-merger for Paramount is going through: reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Geoff Weiss | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Paramount and Skydance have agreed to terms on a merger, according to multiple reports. The deal is valued at $8 billion, according to CNBC, but has yet to be signed by Shari Redstone. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementAfter weeks of negotiations, a Paramount and Skydance merger is happening, according to reports in CNBC and Deadline. The deal has yet to be signed by Shari Redstone, who owns a controlling stake in Paramount, but will be formally unveiled in days, according to CNBC.

Persons: Skydance, Shari Redstone, David Ellison, —, Larry Ellison — Organizations: Paramount, CNBC, Service, RedBird Capital Partners, KKR, Business

☆ Paramount and Skydance agree to terms of a merger deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Paramount and Skydance have agreed to terms of a merger, CNBC's David Faber reported Monday. A Paramount special committee and the buying consortium — David Ellison's Skydance, backed by private equity firms RedBird Capital and KKR — agreed to the terms. The deal currently calls for Redstone to receive $2 billion for National Amusements, Faber reported Monday. Following the close of the deal, Skydance and RedBird would own two-thirds of Paramount, and the class B shareholders would own the remaining third of the company, Faber reported. The deal will not require a vote from the shareholders, which was part of the negotiations, Faber reported.

Persons: Skydance, CNBC's David Faber, — David Ellison's Skydance, KKR —, Shari Redstone, Faber, RedBird, Paramount's, Bob Bakish, George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy, Brian Robbins Organizations: Paramount, Columbia, —, RedBird Capital, KKR, Amusements, Apollo Global Management, Sony Pictures, National Amusements, Wall Street, CNBC, Apollo, Sony, Redstone, CBS, Showtime, MTV Entertainment Studios, Paramount Media Networks, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Locations: Hollywood , California

☆ 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

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

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

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

☆ Meet the 37-year-old Apollo partner behind the $26 billion bid for Paramount
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Skydance has been vying to buy Paramount. The private equity giant teamed up with Sony for a $26 billion bid. AdvertisementApollo Global Management and Sony have teamed up to buy Paramount for $26 billion, according to reports on Thursday. The all-cash offer has been submitted to Paramount's board, a person close to the negotiations confirmed to Business Insider. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: Skydance, Aaron Sobel, —, David Ellison, Larry Ellison Organizations: Paramount, Sony, Service, Global Management, Business, Skydance Media

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

☆ What you need to know about Skydance's bid for Paramount, from financing a deal worth $32 billion to its plans for the media empire
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Skydance Media and its largest private-equity backer RedBird Capital Partners have been wooing Paramount for the better part of a year. The Skydance consortium, including fellow Skydance investor KKR, submitted a revised offer on Sunday. The deal would be worth roughly $32 billion, according to the source, with the value of Paramount and its $15 billion in debt making up the lion's share. Here's what we know about the deal, how much Redstone would get, and what a new Paramount would look like. Keeping Paramount public sets the Skydance bid apart from Apollo's potential offer, according to one of the sources.

Persons: Bob Bakish, Shari Redstone's, Tom Cruise, Mario Gabelli, Bakish, Getty, Redstone's, David Ellison, Larry Ellison, Ellison, RedBird, Gerry Cardinale, Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Skydance, Jeff Shell, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon's, Axel Springer Organizations: Skydance Media, RedBird Capital Partners, Paramount, KKR, Business, Ex, CNBC, Apple, New York Yankees, NFL, Bakish, CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, ' Equity, Amazon Studios, Sony, Apollo, Wall Street Locations: Santa Monica , California, New York City, Skydance, RedBird

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery’s stock plummets to new low amid concerns the media giant could lose its NBA rights
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Discovery doesn’t “have to have the NBA.” It appears Wall Street disagrees. TNT has built a programming slate around the NBA games, most notably the highly rated ”Inside the NBA” show. Losing the rights to NBA games could throw aspects of that business partnership into question. Since WBD first began trading on Wall Street in April 2022, the stock has lost roughly 70% of its value. And for Zaslav, whose company is struggling on Wall Street, the battle could not come at a more inopportune time.

Persons: New York CNN — David Zaslav, “, WBD, —, Joe Flint, Amol Sharma, Isabella Simonetti —, Charles Barkley, Andrew Marchand, Warner, That’s, NBCU’s, I’m, Zaslav, Gunnar Wiedenfels, Wiedenfels ’, Bob Iger, David Ellison’s, ” Organizations: New York CNN, Warner Bros, NBA, CNN, Industry, WBD, TNT, The Athletic, New York Post, NCAA, MLB, NHL, NASCAR, Disney, Fox Corporation, Netflix, Paramount Global, Wall Locations: New York

Paramount’s cloudy futureThe boardroom intrigue at Paramount Global — the drama that has gripped the corporate world — just got messier. Bob Bakish is out as C.E.O., replaced by three subordinates who will form an “office of the C.E.O.” His departure caps a year of rising tension between him and Shari Redstone, Paramount’s controlling shareholder, who is pushing for a deal with David Ellison’s Skydance. Bakish’s exit removed an executive who didn’t support that transaction, but it doesn’t resolve all of the big questions hanging over the company’s future. Why Bakish was pushed out: Redstone picked the low-profile company veteran to lead Paramount after years of internal strife, but they still ended up clashing.

Persons: Bob Bakish, ”, Shari Redstone, David Ellison’s Skydance, Bakish Organizations: Paramount Global, Redstone, Paramount

☆ Paramount axed its CEO, then held a bizarre earnings call where it played the 'Mission: Impossible' theme song over and over and refused to take questions
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

No questions were taken and the call ended with the Mission: Impossible theme being played on loop. The company announced the departure of its president and CEO Bob Bakish before the call. AdvertisementParamount executives didn't take any questions during the company's earnings call on Monday, and ended up blasting the Mission: Impossible theme music on loop to their investors instead. The entertainment studio's first quarterly earnings call of the year took place after Paramount announced the ouster of its president and CEO Bob Bakish. The earnings call ran for only 8 minutes and 50 seconds, and the executives in attendance weren't open to taking questions.

Persons: Bob Bakish, —, didn't, Bakish, George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy, Brian Robbins, Jaime Morris, Anna Nicolaou, Matthew Belloni, Alex Stedman, Shari Redstone, David Ellison's Skydance, David Ellison, Larry Ellison, There's, Paramount didn't Organizations: Paramount, Service, — CBS, Showtime, MTV Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Nickelodeon, Financial Times, Netflix, David Ellison's Skydance Media, Oracle, BI

☆ Meet the ex-Goldman Sachs partner behind the scenes of the Skydance-Paramount deal negotiations
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewParamount's CEO Bob Bakish was ousted on Monday night, putting the entertainment giant one step closer to accepting a merger deal. The would-be buyer, film studio Skydance Media, is owned by David Ellison, son of billionaire Oracle founder Larry. An investor in Skydance since 2020, RedBird is the media company's largest shareholder other than the Ellison family. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. "I think it's my biggest competitive advantage that I don't get emotionally attached," Cardinale told Business Insider in 2022.

Persons: —, Bob Bakish, David Ellison, Larry, RedBird, Ellison, Gerry Cardinale, Goldman Sachs, Jeff Shell, Skydance, " Cardinale, Goldman, Jon Winkelried, Gerry, Axel Springer Organizations: Service, Skydance Media, RedBird Capital Partners, Business, New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys, NFL, AC Milan, Paramount, KKR, Sony, TPG Locations: Skydance, RedBird

☆ Paramount’s Chief Executive, Bob Bakish, Steps Down
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Benjamin Mullin | Lauren Hirsch | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Bob Bakish, the chief executive of Paramount, is stepping down effective immediately, the company announced on Monday, a stunning shake-up in the top ranks of the company as it considers a major merger. Mr. Bakish, 60, will be replaced by an “office of the C.E.O.” run by three executives: Brian Robbins, head of the Paramount movie studio; George Cheeks, chief executive of Paramount’s CBS division; and Chris McCarthy, chief executive of Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios. Like many media companies, Paramount has struggled in recent years to get its streaming business off the ground as audiences for its cable channels have diminished. In recent months, the company has been in discussions to merge with Skydance, a media company run by the tech scion and Hollywood executive David Ellison. Shari Redstone, Paramount’s controlling shareholder, has already signed off on a potential deal for her stake, but the company’s directors have yet to reach an agreement for the whole company.

Persons: Bob Bakish, Bakish, Brian Robbins, George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy, Bakish’s, David Ellison, Shari Redstone Organizations: Paramount, Paramount’s CBS, Showtime, MTV Entertainment Studios

☆ Paramount CEO Bob Bakish is officially out
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Paul Squire | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

CEO Bob Bakish will step down and be replaced by a trio of senior executives. David Ellison has been itching to strike a deal with Shari Redstone to buy Paramount. AdvertisementParamount announced Monday that its president and CEO Bob Bakish is out and will be replaced by a trio of execs. Bakish is stepping down from the entertainment studio as major shareholder Shari Redstone inches closer to a possible sale of her controlling stake in the company. In the statement, Shari Redstone (who also serves as the chair of the board) said she has "tremendous confidence" in the new leadership.

Persons: Bob Bakish, David Ellison, Shari Redstone, —, Shari, David Ellison's Skydance, Larry Elison, George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy, Brian Robbins, Bakish, David Ellison's Organizations: Paramount, Service, Oracle, Bloomberg, — CBS, Showtime, MTV Entertainment Studios, Paramount Media Networks, Nickelodeon, Board, Paramount Global, Hollywood

☆ Paramount Global ousts chief Bob Bakish as future of media conglomerate hangs in the balance
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Paramount Global on Monday parted ways with its chief executive, Bob Bakish, in a seismic move that sent reverberations through the media conglomerate as it actively engages in acquisition talks with Skydance Media. In place of Bakish, who led the company since controlling shareholder Shari Redstone reunited Viacom and CBS Corporation under one roof in 2019, will be a triumvirate of leaders: Brian Robbins, chief executive of Paramount Pictures; Chris McCarthy, chief executive of Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios; and George Cheeks, chief executive of CBS. In an attempt to stave off declining cable revenues, Paramount has spent billions of dollars building its own streaming service, Paramount+. Supporters of the Skydance deal hope that merging Paramount with the Ellison-led company will change its fortunes. Those shareholders have argued the deal primarily benefits Redstone and they have encouraged Paramount’s board to evaluate other options.

Persons: Bob Bakish, Bakish, Shari Redstone, Brian Robbins, Chris McCarthy, George Cheeks, Bob, ” Redstone, David Ellison, Larry Ellison, Ellison, Skydance, Jeff Shell Organizations: New, New York CNN, Paramount Global, Skydance Media, Viacom, CBS Corporation, Paramount Pictures, Showtime, MTV Entertainment Studios, CBS, Paramount, Skydance, CNN, BET, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy, Netflix Locations: New York, Redstone, Skydance

☆ Paramount CEO Bob Bakish could be out as soon as Monday as Skydance merger talks continue
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Paramount Global's board is preparing to fire Chief Executive Officer Bob Bakish as soon as Monday morning, according to people familiar with the matter. Paramount Global reports its quarterly earnings Monday. Bakish has lost the trust of Paramount Global controlling shareholder Shari Redstone, according to people familiar with her thinking. Paramount and Skydance have been making headway on a final deal, under which Bakish would leave Paramount, CNBC reported Thursday. Skydance intends to name its CEO David Ellison to helm Paramount, according to people familiar with the matter.

Persons: Bob Bakish, Bakish, Shari, Skydance, David Ellison Organizations: Viacom Inc, Mobile, Paramount, Paramount Global, Skydance Media, Charter Communications, Skydance, CNBC Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S

Paramount is preparing to announce the departure of its chief executive, Bob Bakish, as soon as next week, according to three people with knowledge of the matter, a sudden development that would come even as company is exploring a merger. Ms. Redstone grew frustrated with what she saw as his inability to get important deals across the finish line, including a sale of the Showtime and BET cable channels, the people said. The company is in talks to merge with Skydance, a media company controlled by the tech scion and Hollywood producer David Ellison. It is also negotiating a lucrative deal to keep channels like Nickelodeon and MTV on the Charter cable system. The Wall Street Journal earlier reported that Paramount’s board was considering replacing Mr. Bakish.

Persons: Bob Bakish, Bakish’s, Shari Redstone, David Ellison, Bakish Organizations: Paramount, Showtime, BET, Nickelodeon, MTV, Street

☆ Paramount and Skydance inch closer to a merger as key hurdle looms
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Paramount Global and Skydance Media are making progress on a deal that would merge the media companies and buy out controlling shareholder Shari Redstone. The entertainment company will be valued at around $5 billion and merged with Paramount Global, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private. Three of the people said that Paramount Global was slow to open a data room to the Skydance consortium, which has slightly pushed back the timeline on a deal. Skydance plans to name Ellison as CEO of Paramount Global and former NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell as the president, said two of the people. Spokespeople for Apollo, the Paramount Global special committee, Paramount Global, and Skydance's consortium declined to comment.

Persons: National Amusements Shari Redstone, Shari Redstone, David Ellison's Skydance, Ellison, Jeff Shell, Bob Bakish, hasn't, Spokespeople Organizations: National Amusements, Allen, Co, Sun, Paramount Global, Skydance, Paramount, KKR, RedBird Capital Partners, Sony, Apollo Locations: Sun Valley , Idaho

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