Warner Bros Discovery rejects Paramount’s hostile takeover bid

Al JazeeraCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by By AP and ReutersDecember 17, 2025 at 06:33 PM

AI Summary

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In December 2025, Warner Bros Discovery's board rejected Paramount Skydance's $108.4 billion hostile takeover bid, citing concerns about misleading shareholders regarding financing guarantees. The board stated that Paramount's $30-per-share cash offer was not fully guaranteed by the Ellison family, unlike Netflix's $27.75 per share offer, which Warner Bros considers a binding agreement with robust debt commitments. Warner Bros deemed Paramount's offer "inferior" and noted it could be terminated or amended before completion. Paramount had been competing with Netflix to acquire Warner Bros and its assets, including HBO Max and franchises like Harry Potter. The Ellisons believed their relationship with President Trump would ease regulatory hurdles. A shareholder vote on the Netflix deal is expected in spring or early summer.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Samuel Di Piazza 30% United States 40% Affinity Partners 40% Larry Ellison 50% Jared Kushner 50% Donald Trump ×260% Netflix ×270% Paramount Skydance ×480% Warner Bros Discovery ×690%

Keywords

hostile takeover 90% warner bros discovery 80% paramount skydance 80% takeover bid 70% netflix offer 60% financing 50% shareholders 50% streaming service 40% merger agreement 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.20

Source Transparency

Source

Al Jazeera

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

United States

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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hostile takeover warner bros discovery paramount skydance takeover bid netflix offer financing shareholders streaming service merger agreement

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