Netflix ‘plans to switch to all-cash offer to seal $83bn Warner Bros deal’

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 2 min read 100% complete by Joanna PartridgeJanuary 14, 2026 at 10:12 AM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

Netflix is reportedly planning to offer an all-cash deal for Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) in an effort to expedite the $83 billion acquisition and fend off a competing $108.4 billion hostile takeover bid from Paramount Skydance. The original Netflix deal included cash, stock, and equity in WBD's global networks. The acquisition would give Netflix control of Warner Bros. studios and HBO, but has faced scrutiny from politicians and the entertainment industry. WBD has urged shareholders to reject Paramount's offer, which is supported by a $40 billion guarantee from Larry Ellison. Paramount is attempting to disrupt the Netflix deal by nominating directors to WBD's board. WBD formally put itself up for sale in October and agreed to the Netflix deal in December after interest from multiple parties.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Universal Studios 30% CNN 30% Oracle 40% Comcast 40% HBO 40% Ellison family 50% United States 50% Larry Ellison 60% Paramount Skydance 70% Paramount ×680% Netflix ×1090% Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) ×1295%

Keywords

takeover bid 90% all-cash offer 80% acquisition 70% streaming 60% hostile bid 60% shareholders 50% media giant 50% debt financing 40% corporate battle 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Neutral

Score: 0.05

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

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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takeover bid all-cash offer acquisition streaming hostile bid shareholders media giant debt financing corporate battle

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