Archive · 11 Dec 2025
Paramount Claims Airtight Financing for WBD Bid
Paramount, a big entertainment company, is trying to buy Warner Bros Discovery.
They say they have all the money they need and that their deal will be approved faster than Netflix's deal.
Paramount wrote a letter to Warner Bros Discovery shareholders, saying they should choose Paramount because their offer is better and safer.
Warner Bros Discovery already agreed to sell part of its business to Netflix, but Paramount thinks their own offer is better.
They are asking the shareholders to sell their shares to Paramount instead.
Paramount says they have already started the process to get approval from the government, which they think will be quicker than Netflix's process.
Paramount claims to have airtight financing for its $77.9 billion hostile takeover bid of Warner Bros Discovery, backed by the Ellison Family Trust.
Paramount asserts its deal will have a smoother and faster regulatory approval process compared to Netflix's bid.
Warner Bros Discovery expressed concerns about the involvement of Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds and Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners in Paramount's financing.
Paramount has set a Jan. 8 deadline for WBD stockholders to tender their shares, which could be extended.
Netflix co-CEOs expressed confidence in closing their deal with Warner Bros Discovery despite Paramount's hostile bid.
- Who
- Paramount, Warner Bros Discovery, Netflix, Ellison Family Trust
- What
- Paramount claims to have secure financing for its hostile takeover bid of Warner Bros Discovery, asserting it will have a smoother regulatory approval process than Netflix's bid.
- When
- The events are ongoing, with a Jan. 8 deadline for WBD stockholders to tender their shares.
- Where
- The events involve the U.S. and global regulatory bodies.
- Why
- Paramount aims to convince WBD shareholders that its offer is financially superior and less risky than Netflix's deal.
Paramount
Warner Bros Discovery
Financing
Paramount
Paramount claims to have airtight financing with the Ellison Family Trust backstopping the equity, ensuring no financing conditions.
Warner Bros Discovery
WBD expressed concerns about the involvement of Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds and Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners, fearing potential CFIUS scrutiny.
Regulatory Approval
Paramount
Paramount asserts its deal will have a smoother and faster regulatory approval process compared to Netflix's bid.
Warner Bros Discovery
WBD believes Netflix's deal, despite potential regulatory hurdles, is more straightforward and less risky.
- Company
- Paramount
- Industry
- Entertainment
- Bid Amount
- $77.9 billion
- Committee
- CFIUS (Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States)
- Paramount's Offer
- $30 in cash per share
- Ellison Family Trust Assets
- Over $250 billion
- Netflix's Deal
- Agreed to buy WBD's studio and streaming business
Sources
Paramount Says China's Tencent Withdrew From Its Warner Bros Bid to Avert National Security Issues
Netflix offer challenged after Saudi, UAE & Qatar back Trump-linked Paramount bid for Warner Bros
