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☆ Paramount and Skydance just agreed to a takeover. But media's messiest deal isn't over yet.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Shubhangi Goel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Paramount agreed to merge with Skydance Media after tumultuous acquisition talks. But the Hollywood megamerger may face FTC scrutiny. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementParamount, the media giant that owns Nickelodeon and MTV, has finally agreed to a deal with Skydance Media, the companies said late Sunday. The deal includes an acquisition of National Amusements, which holds the controlling stake in Paramount, and a merger of Skydance and Paramount Global.

Persons: Lina Khan, —, Shari Redstone, David Ellison Organizations: Paramount, Skydance Media, Hollywood, FTC, Service, Nickelodeon, MTV, National Amusements, Paramount Global Locations: Skydance

☆ Paramount Global merges with Skydance, creating 'New Paramount'
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Paramount Global's board approved a merger with Skydance on Sunday. This marks the end of a tumultuous deal process and a new era for the troubled media giant. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementParamount Global, the troubled media giant that owns CBS and Nickelodeon, has agreed to merge with David Ellison's Skydance Media production company, creating "New Paramount," the companies announced late Sunday evening. The announcement marks the end of a shaky dealmaking process and a new chapter for Paramount.

Persons: Skydance's David Ellison, —, David Ellison's Organizations: Paramount, Skydance, Service, CBS, Nickelodeon, Media, Business

☆ Paramount agrees to merge with Skydance
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Paramount Global will merge with Skydance, capping off a months-long negotiation that included various twists and turns, and will see the Redstone family step away from control of the storied movie studio and media company. Paramount's special committee agreed to the merger on Sunday, days after Shari Redstone's National Amusements, the controlling shareholder of Paramount, once again reached a preliminary agreement with Skydance. The latest iteration of the deal will see the buying consortium, which includes RedBird Capital Partners and KKR, invest more than $8 billion into Paramount and to acquire National Amusements. The deal gives National Amusements an enterprise value of $2.4 billion, which includes $1.75 billion in equity. A completed Skydance merger would mark a major shift for the ownership of Paramount, as well as for Hollywood as a whole.

Persons: Shari Redstone's, it's, Jeff Shell, Ellison, Forrest, —, David Ellison, Skydance, Larry Ellison Organizations: Paramount Studios, Paramount, Skydance, RedBird Capital Partners, KKR, National, Shell, Hollywood, CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, Oracle Locations: Los Angeles , California

☆ Hollywood theater owners are worried a Paramount-Skydance merger will usher in too much consolidation
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

More consolidation, more problems — that's the latest fear gripping the theatrical industry. After a monthslong negotiation process, Paramount and Skydance have struck a merger agreement. Namely, that continued consolidation in the industry will exacerbate production woes that have led to fewer film releases in recent years. Skydance founder David Ellison during an investor call Monday touted that Paramount and Skydance have produced 30 feature films together. However, each company has other producing partners, and it is unclear how this merger could affect production going forward.

Persons: —, Michael O'Leary, David Ellison, Shawn Robbins, Paul Dergarabedian Organizations: Paramount, National Association of Theatre Owners, NATO, Disney, Century Fox

☆ Paramount's new owner says he's building a tech company. Come again?
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But he is definitely leaning on the idea that he's building a media company that is also a tech company. That's partly because David Ellison isn't a tech mogul. But this reminds me a bit of the 2015 era when digital publishers like BuzzFeed and Vox Media told investors they weren't media companies but tech companies that made media. The bigger problem with the tech + media pitch isn't that tech and media aren't intertwined. AdvertisementThe real problem that Paramount — and just about every other big media company — has these days isn't that its tech isn't good enough.

Persons: —, David Ellison, Ellison, he's, David Ellison's, Larry Ellison —, We've, David Ellison isn't, Steve Jobs, Jobs, John Lasseter, it's, He's, Lasseter, That's, Rich Greenfield, It's Organizations: Service, Hollywood, Paramount, Media, Technology Enterprise, Business, Oracle, Apple, Pixar, Disney, Vox Media, Netflix, YouTube, Lightshed

☆ Paramount Agrees to Merge With Skydance
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-07 | by ( Benjamin Mullin | Lauren Hirsch | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Paramount’s board on Sunday signed off on a deal to merge with Skydance, according to two people familiar with the negotiations, ushering in a new era for CBS, Nickelodeon and the film studio behind the “Top Gun” and “Mission: Impossible” franchises. Ms. Redstone, Paramount’s board chair, is cashing in much of her ownership in the company she fought to preserve and control. David Ellison, the tech scion behind Skydance, will become the top power broker at Paramount. The Ellisons’ considerable resources was a major selling point for the Redstones, who were seeking to fortify Paramount for the long-term. Paramount has tried to replace its fading cable TV enterprise with streaming businesses like Paramount+, but those efforts are still nowhere near as profitable as traditional TV operations.

Persons: David Ellison, Ellison, Larry Ellison Organizations: Sunday, CBS, Nickelodeon, Paramount, Oracle, Netflix Locations: Hollywood

☆ Meet David Ellison, Paramount’s Future Boss and Hollywood’s Newest Mogul
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-07 | by ( Benjamin Mullin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

David Ellison’s Hollywood career has been defined by high-octane blockbusters filled with suspense, stunts and improbable plot twists. If the deal closes, he will be in charge of a sprawling media empire that includes CBS, MTV and the Paramount movie studio. Though Mr. Ellison, 41, joined the cast of Hollywood’s power players more than a decade ago, he hasn’t taken center stage until now. Who is David Ellison, and what is his company, Skydance? It wasn’t until he became a producer that his star in Hollywood began to rise.

Persons: David Ellison’s, Shari Redstone, Ellison, David Ellison, ” Organizations: David Ellison’s Hollywood, Paramount, CBS, MTV, Hollywood

☆ Media mogul Barry Diller weighs a bid to gain control of Paramount
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-02 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Media mogul Barry Diller is taking a look at acquiring National Amusements Inc., the company owned by Shari Redstone and the controlling shareholder of Paramount, CNBC's David Faber reported on Tuesday. Diller's IAC , an internet media and publishing company, has signed a nondisclosure agreement and is looking in the data room of National Amusements, Faber said Tuesday. These discussions come weeks after National Amusements stopped talks with Skydance on a proposed merger with Paramount. National Amusements, which Redstone controls, holds 77% of class A Paramount shares. Prior to calling off the proposed merger, National Amusements had agreed to financial terms of the deal, CNBC reported.

Persons: Barry Diller, Shari Redstone, CNBC's David Faber, Faber, Skydance, David Ellison's Skydance, RedBird Organizations: Paramount Global, Media, National Amusements Inc, Paramount, Diller's IAC, Amusements, IAC, National, RedBird Capital, KKR, National Amusements, CNBC Locations: Redstone

☆ Paramount and Skydance Near Merger Deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-02 | by ( Benjamin Mullin | Lauren Hirsch | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For months, Paramount’s controlling shareholder and Skydance sought to seal a merger that would transform the media industry, before those talks ground to a sudden halt in June. Now, just weeks later, the two sides have reached a preliminary deal to merge, four people familiar with the negotiations said. If they win that approval, the deal will combine Paramount — the parent company of CBS, MTV and Nickelodeon — and Skydance, the up-and-coming movie studio that helped produce “Top Gun: Maverick,” into a new giant in Hollywood. Shari Redstone, who controls Paramount through her stake in its parent company, National Amusements, is part of the family that has run the media conglomerate for decades. The new company would be backed instead by big-ticket investors like the private-equity firm RedBird and David Ellison, son of the Oracle founder Larry Ellison.

Persons: Skydance, Shari Redstone, David Ellison, Larry Ellison Organizations: Paramount, CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, National, Oracle Locations: Hollywood

☆ Banks are more focused on credit than rates, says Hennessy Fund's David Ellison
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | 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 EmailBanks are more focused on credit than rates, says Hennessy Fund's David EllisonDavid Ellison, Hennessy Funds Portfolio Manager and Gerard Cassidy, RBC Capital Markets Managing Director, joins 'Closing Bell Overtime' to talk the Fed's bank stress test.

Persons: Hennessy, David Ellison David Ellison, Gerard Cassidy Organizations: RBC Capital Markets

☆ Paramount+ to increase prices for its streaming plans
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The price increase takes effect on Aug. 20 for new customers for both plans. Existing Paramount+ with Showtime customers will see the price increase hit on or after Sept. 20. Paramount executives had said publicly on multiple occasions they see a lot of opportunities to increase the price of streaming services. Paramount said in April it had added 3.7 million Paramount+ subscribers during the first quarter, bringing the total to 71 million. The price increase comes after National Amusements earlier this month stopped discussions with Skydance on a proposed merger with Paramount.

Persons: —, Comcast's NBCUniversal, Peacock, Shari Redstone, David Ellison's Skydance, George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy, Brian Robbins, Skydance didn't Organizations: Paramount, Showtime, Summer, NBC, Warner Bros . Discovery, National, CBS, Paramount Media Networks, Paramount Pictures, Comcast, CNBC Locations: NBCUniversal

☆ Larry Ellison is $19 billion richer after Oracle shares rally the most since 2021
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-12 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Larry Ellison, chairman and co-founder of Oracle Corp., speaks during the Oracle OpenWorld 2017 conference in San Francisco on Oct. 1, 2017. Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison is almost $19 billion richer after the software maker he founded in 1977 forecast double-digit revenue growth for the fiscal year, lifting the stock to its sharpest rally since 2021. Ellison owns about 1.15 billion Oracle shares, equal to around 42% of the company's outstanding stock. Oracle shares soared 13% on Wednesday to a record $140.38, their best day since Dec. 10, 2021. Oracle said its database will become available on Google's public cloud and that OpenAI will be able to use Microsoft's cloud-based AI tools atop Oracle's cloud infrastructure.

Persons: Larry Ellison, Ellison, Mark Zuckerberg, Bernstein, Elon Musk, Skydance, David Ellison Organizations: Oracle Corp, Oracle, Forbes, Bank of America, Barclays, JPMorgan, UBS, Street Journal, Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Tesla, Paramount Global Locations: San Francisco, California , Florida, Lanai, California

☆ 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

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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

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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