Netflix just folded one of the most dramatic hands in media history. After months of fighting to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, the streaming giant walked away Thursday — handing a massive victory to Paramount Skydance and its CEO David Ellison.
Netflix struck a deal in December to buy most of Warner Bros. Discovery — the studios, HBO, and the streaming business — for around $83 billion. Then Paramount kept raising its hand.
After multiple rejected bids spanning five months, Paramount submitted a $31-per-share, all-cash offer for the entire company — CNN, TNT, HGTV, and every cable channel included. The WBD board called it the better deal.
Warner Bros. gave Netflix four days to match. Netflix didn't even take the weekend.
Co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters said the deal was "always a 'nice to have' at the right price, not a 'must have' at any price." At $111 billion, matching Paramount simply didn't make sense — so they walked.
Paramount is now set to absorb HBO, Warner Bros. Pictures, CNN, and dozens of cable networks on top of what it already owns. A shareholder vote is scheduled for March 20, with regulatory approval to follow.
Worth noting: The Ellison family's political ties have already stirred controversy at CBS. CNN employees are, by most accounts, not thrilled about what new ownership might mean for the newsroom.
Netflix walked away from HBO and got a 10% stock bump for its trouble. In Hollywood, that's basically a standing ovation.
