Paramount CEO Bob Bakish could be out as soon as Monday as Skydance merger talks continue

Bob Bakish, then president and chief executive officer of Viacom Inc., speaks during the Mobile World Congress Americas event in Los Angeles, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019.  Patrick T. Fallon | Bloomberg | Getty Images Paramount Global’s board is preparing to fire Chief Executive Officer Bob Bakish as soon as Monday morning, according … Read more

Paramount, Skydance inch closer to a merger agreement: Sources

Paramount Global and Skydance Media are making progress on a deal that would merge the media companies and buy out controlling shareholder Shari Redstone, according to people familiar with the matter. Paramount Global’s special committee, in charge of accepting or rejecting transactions, and David Ellison’s Skydance Media, backed by private equity firms KKR and RedBird … Read more

EW Scripps exploring sale of Black-culture broadcast network Bounce TV

Tanika Ray, Alyson Fouse, Kym Whitley, Yvette Nicole Brown and Tisha Campbell attend Bounce TV’s “Act Your Age” Los Angeles Series Premiere at The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills on February 27, 2023 in West Hollywood, California.  Charley Gallay | Getty Images EW Scripps, one of the largest local TV broadcasters in the U.S., … Read more

What subscriber reporting change means

The best way to get investors to stop focusing on something is to stop telling them at all. Netflix said Thursday it will no longer report quarterly membership numbers and average revenue per membership starting in the first quarter of 2025. This is a significant change for the company and for the so-called “streaming wars,” … Read more

Details of David Ellison bid

Shari Redstone, president of National Amusements, speaks at the WSJ Tech Live conference in Laguna Beach, California, on Oct. 21, 2019. Mike Blake | Reuters Skydance Media’s offer to acquire National Amusements and merge its studio with Paramount Pictures isn’t a conventional takeover. The question for Paramount Global shareholders might be: Is it better than … Read more

Jim Cramer updates his media stock ranking and puts Fox over Disney

CNBC’s Jim Cramer on Thursday updated his ranking of major media stocks, putting Fox at the top of the list, trailed closely by Disney. Five months ago, Cramer ranked Disney as No. 1, with Fox in second, followed by Warner Bros Discovery and then Paramount. But according to him, it’s time to revisit this ranking … Read more

Paramount stock slumps on reports of equity raise for merger

Paramount Global‘s stock slumped 8% on Thursday after CNBC’s David Faber reported the company would need to raise as much as $3 billion in new equity if it were to merge with David Ellison’s Skydance Media, according to sources familiar with the deal. This deal comes as media mogul Shari Redstone, the controlling shareholder of … Read more

Streaming platforms are shrinking their content libraries

Every day the streaming landscape is looking more and more like the beast it sought to slay — cable. Looming talks of platform bundles come as major streamers push ad-supported plans, limit password sharing and lean into live sports coverage. The goal of exponential subscriber growth, fueled by pandemic lockdowns, has shifted. Wall Street wants … Read more

Mattel Barbie strategy can revitalize American Girl, Fisher-Price, CEO says

Margot Robbie is Barbie in Warner Bros.’ “Barbie.” Warner Bros. If there’s one thing Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz wants shareholders to take away on Thursday, it’s the power of Barbie. As the toymaker faces activist pressure from Barington Capital, particularly around its strategy with the Fisher-Price and American Girl brands, it’s putting forth Barbie as … Read more

Part Two’ hits theaters Friday amid box office drought

Timothee Chalamet stars as Paul Atreides in Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Two.” Warner Bros. | Legendary Entertainment LOS ANGELES — Movie theater operators are hoping that Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment’s “Dune: Part Two,” due out in theaters Friday, will be the much-needed oasis amid a drought of blockbuster content. Since the start of the … Read more