Gulf Money Fuels Hollywood Megadeal, Sparking Soft-Power Debate
Paramount Global's planned $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery is backed by $24 billion from Gulf sovereign funds (Saudi PIF, Abu Dhabi’s L’imad, and Qatar Investment Authority), a move that signals Gulf states’ aim to diversify and expand influence in global media. While officials say investors won’t gain governance rights, analysts warn the scale could still translate into influence over strategy and editorial decisions for properties like CNN and HBO, prompting regulatory and geopolitical scrutiny as Hollywood’s landscape shifts.