Перевод на русский готовится — пока показан английский текст.
Paramount Skydance completes $110bn acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery
Версия 2: Follow-up reports from Jiemian, IT Home and 36Kr, several citing Xinhua, add the deal's roughly $110 billion value, the new company's Skydance name and asset list, and the appointment of David Ellison as chairman and chief executive with Ynon Kreiz as co-chief executive, shifting the acquisition from reported to announced completion.
Коротко
Paramount Skydance announced on October 6 that it completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, a deal valued at about $110 billion, according to Xinhua reports carried by Jiemian and 36Kr. The combined group, to be known simply as Skydance, will hold the Paramount and Warner Bros film and television studios, the Paramount+ and HBO Max streaming services, and CNN and CBS News. The deal followed months of bidding against Netflix and an antitrust suit by state attorneys general that ended in a settlement; cnBeta reported the new company carries $82 billion in debt and a $6 billion cost-cutting target over three years.
Читать полностью 3 мин чтения
Paramount Skydance announced on October 6 that it completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, a deal valued at about $110 billion, Xinhua said in reports carried by Jiemian and 36Kr. IT Home also reported the figure and described the transaction as one of the largest mergers in the history of the US media industry. Jiemian said the agreement followed months of bidding and a legal battle. [ 4 , 6 , 7 ]
The new company will be known simply as Skydance, according to IT Home. It will hold the Paramount and Warner Bros film and television studios, the Paramount+ and HBO Max streaming services, and the CNN and CBS News operations. David Ellison, son of Oracle founder Larry Ellison, will be chairman and chief executive, with former Mattel executive Ynon Kreiz as co-chief executive. IT Home noted that Hollywood's five major studios are now four: Skydance, Disney, Universal and Sony Pictures. [ 6 ]
CnBeta reported that the outcome followed months of contest in which Ellison submitted nine acquisition bids and beat rival Netflix. A coalition of state attorneys general sued on antitrust grounds to try to stop the deal, the outlet said, but the transaction went ahead after the attorneys general reached a settlement with the company. The settlement secured several commitments, including an editorial independence committee to protect CNN's reporting independence, and Ellison pledged an additional $1.5 billion for film production over the next five years, according to cnBeta. [ 3 ]
Hundreds of Hollywood industry figures said the transaction would sharply increase concentration of corporate power, lead to layoffs and further stall Hollywood's development, cnBeta reported. Skydance argued the merger was a necessary measure to counter large technology companies, the outlet said. [ 3 ]
CnBeta reported that the new company carries $82 billion in debt, heavy pressure for a traditional media company, and that 43-year-old Ellison, who until last year had never run a listed media company, must convince Wall Street it can handle the challenges and repay it. The outlet described an industry in deep change: cable television, once a core profit source, remains profitable but is in sustained decline, streaming cannot yet replace the lost profit, and technology companies such as Amazon and Apple keep pushing up content costs. [ 3 ]
Ellison must also deliver $6 billion in cost cuts over three years, cnBeta reported, with thousands of job losses considered likely and some expected from overlapping business units. CNN and CBS News are potential targets for streamlining, and some administrative positions at Paramount and Warner Bros may also be cut. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav and Paramount streaming head Cindy Holland chose to leave after completion, according to the outlet. Ellison retained Mark Thompson as CNN chairman; Thompson told staff in a memo on Monday that he had spoken with Ellison and was confident Skydance management would support CNN's independent journalism, cnBeta said. The outlet also noted unease among some CNN staff over Ellison's personal ties to President Trump, including a dinner toasting the Trump administration in the spring and accompanying Trump at a UFC event at the White House. [ 3 ]
CLS and Yicai had reported the completion earlier in short flash items attributed to reports, without terms, and Yicai repeated it the following morning under the Paramount Skydance name. [ 1 , 2 , 5 ]
Почему это важно
The closing combines two studios with more than a century of history into one group spanning film, streaming and news, in an industry the documents describe as facing declining cable profits and rising content costs. CnBeta reported that hundreds of Hollywood figures opposed the deal over concentration of corporate power and expected layoffs, while the company argued the merger was a necessary counterweight to large technology firms.
Ключевые факты
- Paramount Skydance announced on October 6 that it completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, according to Xinhua reports carried by Jiemian and 36Kr and to IT Home. [ 4 , 6 , 7 ]
- The transaction is valued at about $110 billion, described as one of the largest M&A deals in the history of the US media industry. [ 4 , 6 , 7 ]
- The new company will be known as Skydance and will include the Paramount and Warner Bros film and television studios, Paramount+ and HBO Max, and the CNN and CBS News operations. [ 6 ]
- David Ellison, son of Oracle founder Larry Ellison, will be chairman and chief executive, with former Mattel executive Ynon Kreiz as co-chief executive. [ 6 ]
- Hollywood's five major studios are reduced to four, alongside Disney, Universal and Sony Pictures. [ 6 ]
- CnBeta reported that Ellison beat rival Netflix after submitting nine bids, and that a coalition of state attorneys general sued on antitrust grounds before settling with the company. [ 3 ]
- The settlement included an editorial independence committee for CNN and an Ellison pledge of an additional $1.5 billion for film production over five years, cnBeta reported. [ 3 ]
- CnBeta reported the new company carries $82 billion in debt and a target of $6 billion in cost cuts over three years, with thousands of job losses considered likely. [ 3 ]
Подтверждено несколькими источниками
- Paramount Skydance completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- The deal is valued at about $110 billion and is described as one of the largest media M&A transactions in US history. [ 4 , 6 , 7 ]
- The combined company spans Hollywood studios and news operations. [ 4 , 6 , 7 ]
- The transaction followed months of bidding and a legal challenge. [ 3 , 4 , 7 ]
- David Ellison will be chairman and chief executive of the new company. [ 3 , 6 ]
Пока неясно
- How many jobs will be cut and at which units. CnBeta says thousands of layoffs are likely and names CNN, CBS News and administrative roles as potential areas, but gives no confirmed figure or decision.
- The full terms of the settlement with the state attorneys general beyond the commitments cnBeta lists. Only cnBeta describes the settlement, and it does not give the text or scope of the agreement.
- Whether the company will keep the Skydance name in all markets and how the brands will be structured. IT Home says the new company will be abbreviated as Skydance, but no other document describes the branding beyond the listed assets.
Что пишут местные СМИ
Хронология, местное время
- CLS reports, citing reports, that Paramount completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. [ 1 ]
- Yicai reports the same completion in a short item. [ 2 ]
- CnBeta publishes a detailed account, including Ellison's statement that it is “a historic day” and that the team is “eager to get to work”. [ 3 ]
- Jiemian reports, citing Xinhua, that the deal is valued at about $110 billion and followed months of bidding and a legal battle. [ 4 ]
- Yicai repeats the completion under the Paramount Skydance name. [ 5 ]
- IT Home reports the $110 billion figure, the combined assets and the appointment of David Ellison as chairman and chief executive and Ynon Kreiz as co-chief executive. [ 6 ]
- 36Kr reports the roughly $110 billion value and the creation of a group spanning Hollywood and news, citing Xinhua. [ 7 ]