All articles tagged with #merger
Paramount Skydance chief David Ellison has pressed a high-stakes bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, including a hostile tender offer and talks with Netflix; while Skydance’s box-office legacy is anchored by Tom Cruise-led franchises, many films carry big budgets with uneven profitability, making a WBD takeover a potentially transformative move for both studios.
Warner Bros. Discovery said Paramount Skydance’s revised offer to buy the entire company for about $77 billion ($31 per share) — including a $7 billion reverse termination fee and reimbursement of potential Netflix-related costs — could be preferable to Netflix’s studio-and-streaming deal. The Warner board has not decided a winner; Netflix would have four days to counter if Paramount’s bid is favored. Regulatory approval is still required, and some analysts say bids near $34 a share could end the bidding.
Paramount raised its offer for Warner Bros. Discovery to $31 a share, signaling the potential for a superior proposal to Netflix’s deal and intensifying a months-long battle over the media company. The revised bid adds ticking fees, a $7 billion termination fee, and coverage of Netflix’s $2.8 billion break‑fee, while dropping an earlier walk‑away condition. Warner Bros. Discovery says it will continue talks and could prompt Netflix to counter if Paramount’s bid is deemed superior. Netflix’s deal remains in effect with a March 20 shareholder vote, amidst antitrust scrutiny from regulators such as the DOJ.
Paramount has sweetened its offer to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery as negotiations with Netflix-backed WBD move under a tight seven-day window, with the exact increase over the previous $30-per-share bid not disclosed. Netflix retains the right to match any bid, and WBD has signaled Paramount might push above $31 a share in talks aimed at preventing a Netflix-led outcome. Financing guarantees are a concern in what would be the largest leveraged buyout in history. The discussions come ahead of a Warner shareholder meeting and a deadline through tonight, possibly extending to March 3; Paramount declined to comment, with an official statement expected before the market opens.
The Department of Justice has opened an antitrust inquiry into Netflix’s bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, issuing a civil investigative demand to filmmakers and producers to gather documents and sworn responses to assess whether the deal could lessen competition or create a monopoly. The CID, issued under the Antitrust Civil Process Act, sets a March 23 deadline for responses as Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders prepare to vote on the deal. Netflix says it is not a monopolist and will cooperate, while the probe adds regulatory and political pressure amid the high-stakes merger battle with Paramount.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos defends Netflix’s bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, arguing the deal should proceed with Netflix owning WB while preserving HBO as a standalone brand and honoring the 45-day theatrical window (with no Day 46 streaming). He critiques what he calls misinformation from Paramount Skydance, outlines a simple post-merger operating plan, discusses regulatory scrutiny and market share, and emphasizes consumer value and job preservation. Healso notes that HBO output deals would remain in place and that HBO Max could be bundled with Netflix, painting a picture of a complementary, not monopolistic, future for the two companies.
Warner Bros. Discovery has scheduled a March 20 vote to approve its Netflix deal and says it will re-engage with Paramount Skydance to resolve outstanding issues and seek a final, binding offer. Netflix granted a seven‑day waiver to discuss terms with PSKY, while Paramount has been pushing an enhanced bid that includes covering Netflix’s termination fee, backstopping refinancing, and a ticking fee. WBD continues to back the Netflix deal but could pursue Paramount’s bid or a proxy fight if shareholders are presented with a clearer path to value and regulatory approval. Netflix asserts the transaction has a clear regulatory path, while analysts note ongoing market pressure amid the bidding dynamics.
Netflix blasted Paramount Skydance’s bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, accusing PSKY of misleading WBD shareholders about regulatory hurdles while defending its own all‑cash, board‑approved deal with WBD; Warner shareholders are set to vote on March 20, and Netflix says PSKY’s push is an attempt to derail the transaction even as both sides engage with global regulators and pursue approvals.
Hapag-Lloyd announced a merger agreement to acquire 100% of ZIM for $35 per share, valuing the deal at over $4 billion. A carved-out ZIM unit will be sold to FIMI to form a new Israeli container line that will assume ZIM’s Golden Share and branding. The combined group would run more than 400 vessels with capacity above 3 million TEU and annual volume surpassing 18 million TEU, expanding and fortifying the network across major trades. The transaction is subject to ZIM shareholder and regulatory approvals, with closing expected by late 2026; until then, the two companies will operate mostly separately with existing collaboration limited to current vessel-sharing agreements.
An analyst suggests Tesla could be merged into SpaceX/xAI within 12–18 months to form a combined AI/space empire, valuing xAI at about $250B and SpaceX at roughly $1T; Tesla has invested around $2B in xAI, and SpaceX aims to deploy up to 1 million satellites to power AI compute, with the Street largely cautious but one bullish note from Dan Ives who sets a $600 target on TSLA.
Former President Donald Trump voiced support for Nexstar’s planned acquisition of Tegna on Truth Social, arguing the deal will 'knock out the Fake News' and spur competition against national networks. FCC Chair Brendan Carr amplified the push, saying the merger should be approved and that it would bring real competition to a media landscape dominated by big networks. If approved, Nexstar would own 265 local TV stations in 44 states and DC, reach 132 of the 210 Nielsen DMAs, and cover about 80% of U.S. TV households. Nexstar CEO Perry Sook said the deal would strengthen local journalism amid a changing media market, while regulators weigh antitrust and information‑quality concerns.
President Donald Trump urged regulators to approve the $6.2 billion Nexstar-Tegna TV-station merger, arguing it would increase competition against “fake news” on national TV, even as conservative outlets Newsmax and One America News Network condemn the consolidation as harmful to competition and consumers; both the FCC and DOJ must sign off on the deal, which has drawn criticism from across the conservative media landscape.
Elon Musk is merging SpaceX with his AI startup xAI in a deal valuing the combined company at about $1.25 trillion (SpaceX ~$1 trillion, xAI ~$250 billion) with an IPO planned for June. Musk argues the merger will move AI compute into space by building a vast network of solar-powered datacentres via up to a million satellites. Experts warn of technical and maintenance challenges for space-based datacentres and potential impacts on SpaceX shareholders, while investors see strategic value in pairing Musk’s rocket hardware with AI software. Analysts also hint at broader Musk consolidation, including a possible Tesla–SpaceX tie-up.
Elon Musk merges SpaceX with his AI startup xAI to form a $1.25 trillion entity, a move critics liken to the SolarCity bailout; the deal could shield xAI’s heavy losses by tapping SpaceX cash ahead of what’s being pitched as a historic IPO, while skepticism grows about space‑based AI ambitions.
The United States has opened an antitrust review of Netflix's $83 billion deal with Warner Bros., signaling heightened scrutiny of major media–tech mergers.