Paramount Skydance announced a $110 billion deal with Warner Bros. Discovery. The company wants to combine its streaming products Paramount+ and HBO Max (as well as Pluto) and reduce costs through technological integration.
Paramount Skydance announced a $110 billion deal with Warner Bros. Discovery. The company wants to combine its streaming products Paramount+ and HBO Max (as well as Pluto) and reduce costs through technological integration.
According to Paramount, the parties have signed a definitive agreement under which Paramount will acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. The press release states that Paramount will pay $31 in cash for each WBD share. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and a vote by WBD shareholders, which is expected to take place in early spring 2026.
If the merger is delayed, the agreement provides for an additional payment to WBD shareholders. If the deal is not closed by September 30, 2026, WBD shareholders will receive an additional $0.25 per share for each subsequent quarter until closing. This is compensation for the delay in the deal.
The company places a special emphasis on streaming and technology. Paramount directly writes about the combination of Paramount+, HBO Max and Pluto and states that it plans to save more than $6 billion through the integration, in particular through the unification of streaming technologies, the transition to unified corporate IT systems, and the optimization of procurement and offices.
In terms of content, the company declares a minimum of 30 theatrical releases per year (15 from each studio) and a minimum 45-day rental window before films appear in paid online viewing. The press release also states that the combined library will exceed 15,000 titles, and franchises include Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Mission: Impossible, DC Universe, Star Trek, SpongeBob SquarePants. The company adds that it plans to keep the HBO brand separate.
Previously, dev.ua wrote about how the WBD board of directors stated that Paramount Skydance’s updated offer was more favorable in terms than the current agreement with the streaming company.
