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☆ Paramount to lay off 15% of staff amid brutal period in media
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-08 | by ( Liam Reilly | Jon Passantino | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Paramount Global, the storied media conglomerate, announced Thursday it will lay off 15% of its US staff and write down $6 billion in value of its cable television networks as it prepares to merge with Skydance Media. Discovery, the parent company of CNN, TNT, HGTV and other cable networks, posted a $9.1 billion write down on its television business. “And this impairment acknowledges this.”The recent turbulence in the media business extends well beyond the traditional television industry, affecting digital news outlets and print publications. As profits in the television business have eroded away, Paramount has been hit particularly hard. Paramount said its streaming service Paramount+ posted a $26 million profit after losing $424 million during the same period last year and said it expects subscriber growth in the second half of the year.

Persons: David Ellison’s SkyDance, Chris McCarthy, “, ”, David Zaslav, Axios, Jim VandeHei Organizations: New, New York CNN, Paramount Global, Skydance Media, Paramount, Warner Bros, CNN, TNT, HGTV, Broadcasting, Cable, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, Discovery, HBO, Max Locations: New York

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery signals rapid deterioration of television business, sending stock plummeting
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-08 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

It’s a reflection of how quickly the traditional television business is deteriorating and imperiling companies such as WBD, which rely on linear channels for the bulk of their revenue. The one bright spot in the legacy television business has been live sports programming, which continues to draw high viewership even as cable cancelations mount. To be fair, WBD is not the only once-high flying legacy media behemoth struggling to find its footing in a shifting landscape upended by the Netflixrevolution. Speaking candidly to investors on the company’s earnings call Wednesday, Zaslav acknowledged the dire reality of the television business. “It’s fair to say that even two years ago, market valuations and prevailing conditions for legacy media companies were quite different than they are today,” Zaslav said.

Persons: New York CNN — David Zaslav, WBD, ” WBD, Shari Redstone, David Ellison’s Skydance, Zaslav, “, ” Zaslav, Gunnar Wiedenfels, ” Wiedenfels, we’ve, shouldn’t Organizations: New, New York CNN, Warner Bros, Discovery, CNN, HGTV, TNT, TBS, NBA, . Paramount Global Locations: New York, U.S

☆ Paramount media empire agrees to merge with Skydance, ending Redstone control
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Jon Passantino | Liam Reilly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Paramount Global—the sprawling media empire behind CBS, MTV, and one of Hollywood’s most storied movie studios—has agreed to merge with technology scion David Ellison’s Skydance Media, ending years of speculation over the company’s fate. The complicated transaction will see Skydance first buy National Amusements, then merge with Paramount, valuing Skydance at $4.75 billion. The combined company will be helmed by Ellison as chief executive and former NBCUniversal chief Jeff Shell as president. The deal caps a tumultuous and protracted saga that began in December, with the two companies entering into exclusive negotiations in April, resulting in the ouster of longtime Paramount chief executive Bob Bakish. In the meantime, the company has been run by 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.

Persons: —, David Ellison’s Skydance, Ellison, Shari Redstone’s, Sumner Redstone, Jeff Shell, Bob Bakish, Brian Robbins, Chris McCarthy, George Cheeks, Robbins, “, ” Robbins, David Ellison, Larry Ellison, ” Redstone, Paramount’s Organizations: CNN, Paramount, CBS, MTV, David Ellison’s Skydance Media, Amusements, National, Paramount Pictures, Showtime, MTV Entertainment Studios, Comedy Central, Netflix, BET, Sony Pictures, Apollo Global Management, Sony, Apollo, Redstone, Skydance Media

☆ 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

☆ 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 Global to lay off 800 employees after record Super Bowl ad revenue and ratings
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Liam Reilly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Paramount Global, the owner of broadcast and cable TV networks, announced Tuesday it will lay off hundreds of staffers as the media giant looks to reduce costs and grow revenue. The news comes just days after its CBS network saw record-breaking advertising sales and the highest-rated telecast for the Super Bowl. The company’s chief executive, Bob Bakish, announced the layoffs in a memo to employees Tuesday obtained by CNN. While Bakish did not specify the number of layoffs, sources familiar with the matter told CNN around 800 employees, or roughly 3% cut of the company’s workforce, will be affected. Paramount is the latest media conglomerate to lay off staffers in 2024.

Persons: Bob Bakish, Bakish, —, ” Bakish, Shari Redstone, David Zaslav, David Ellison’s Skydance, Condé Nast Organizations: CNN, Paramount Global, CBS, Super, National, Warner Bros, Discovery, RedBird, Paramount, Bloomberg, Los Angeles Times, TIME, Business, Condé, Forbes, The New York Daily News

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