Name: Paramount launches hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros.
Uploaded: 2025-12-09T03:25:59.174Z
Duration: 2 min 3 s
Description: Paramount Skydance made a hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery for $108 billion US just days after Netflix announced it made a $72-billion US deal with the legacy studio. It’s a move that even has U.S. President Donald Trump weighing in.

Paramount Skydance made a hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery for $108 billion US just days after Netflix announced it made a $72-billion US deal with the legacy studio. It’s a move that even has U.S. President Donald Trump weighing in.

Hollywood

Paramount Skydance has initiated a $108 billion hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros., shortly after Warner finalized a $72 billion deal with Netflix. Paramount's offer includes Warner's cable operations, such as CNN, and is positioned as pro-consumer and pro-competition.

The bid requires approval from U.S. regulators and has attracted political attention, including comments from former President Donald Trump and the involvement of Jared Kushner's private equity firm as a financial backer. The Warner Bros. Board of Directors is reviewing the offer but has advised caution before taking any action.

Paramount launches hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros.

It may sound like something out of HBO's hit show, Succession. A hostile bid to take over a media empire. It'll be hostile, hostile, hostile. But at stake in this real-life corporate drama is Warner Brothers, fresh off making a $72 billion deal with Netflix, now entertaining a sudden $108 billion bid from Paramount Skydance. Paramount hopes to leverage concerns that Netflix, the world's top streaming service, could end up controlling Warner's HBO Max, its direct competitor. Our deal is pro-consumer, it's pro-creative talent, it's pro-competition. Paramount is also pitching to buy Warner's cable operations, including CNN, which Netflix did not. Any deal would require the approval of U.S. regulators. And it appears Donald Trump, who Sunday night suggested Netflix's deal might be a problem. It's a lot of markets here, so we'll have to see what happens. Just hours later, Paramount launched its bid. An added layer, the private equity firm of Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, is one of the financial backers. But Trump Monday denied speaking to Kushner about it. I have to see what percentage of market they have. None of them are particularly great friends of mine. I think, honestly, President Trump is going to be a massive wild card because these two offers would normally be subject to a rigorous anti-competition regulatory process. It's raising questions about potential undue influence. When there is an administration that is as willing as the Trump administration has demonstrated themselves to be willing to affect decisions, whether that is in films, television, on the newscast, I think it is definitely a concern. The Warner Brothers Board of Directors says it would review Paramount's offer, but is advising the company to hold off on taking any action. For now, Michelle Song, CBC News, Toronto.

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