Netflix & Paramount fight to acquire Warner Bros.

[ranger_scout]

Wall Street banks are boosting the Warner Bros loan to over $10 billion ahead of the Paramount merger.

https://www.reuters.com/legal/transa...er-2026-05-21/

[ranger_scout]

US antitrust regulators appear ready to approve the takeover.

https://www.reuters.com/legal/litiga...or-2026-05-27/

[ranger_scout]

Paramount is now seeking EU approval for the deal.

https://www.reuters.com/world/paramo...on-2026-06-02/

[cammy85]

I'm not sure if it's related, but Paramount Plus just added Fresh Prince of Bel-Air today.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by ranger_scout

Paramount is now seeking EU approval for the deal.

https://www.reuters.com/world/paramo...on-2026-06-02/

Not entirely sure why they would need EU approval? But OK.

[ranger_scout]

Here's a history of mega Hollywood deals and why the Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery one is a whale of a deal.

https://www.reuters.com/graphics/WAR...N/byprngedkpe/

[ranger_scout]

Paramount is now asking a judge to dismiss an antitrust lawsuit that wants to block the merger.

https://deadline.com/2026/06/paramou...ss-1236941138/

ETA: Now some US states are preparing a lawsuit to block the merger.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us-sta...os-2026-06-05/

[ZariusTwo]

Paramount are considering selling off their TV networks, including CN and Nick, to secure the deal

https://bleedingcool.com/tv/paramoun...etwork-report/

[nidza_maj2000]

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

Paramount are considering selling off their TV networks, including CN and Nick, to secure the deal

https://bleedingcool.com/tv/paramoun...etwork-report/

Hollywood Arts series which is Victorious spin off series will stay save from this, also they might only sell it in Europe as far as I understand and if they have to chooce they will most likely easily sell CN instead Nickelodeon maybe

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

Paramount are considering selling off their TV networks, including CN and Nick, to secure the deal

https://bleedingcool.com/tv/paramoun...etwork-report/

lol, what is the point of this. They buy WB but sell off CN which is owned by them or Nick, which has all their shows under Paramount?

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

Paramount are considering selling off their TV networks, including CN and Nick, to secure the deal

https://bleedingcool.com/tv/paramoun...etwork-report/

Wait, what does that mean? Viacom acquired TMNT and owned Nickelodeon and then removed the name Viacom and just became Nickelodeon.

So TMNT might get sold to somebody else, along with Nickelodeon?

[neatoman]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

Wait, what does that mean? Viacom acquired TMNT and owned Nickelodeon and then removed the name Viacom and just became Nickelodeon.

So TMNT might get sold to somebody else, along with Nickelodeon?

I suspect what's going on here is selling the TV channels themselves and not the shows. Kinda like the reverse of what FOX did, kept the TV channels and sold the TV-shows to Disney.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by neatoman

I suspect what's going on here is selling the TV channels themselves and not the shows. Kinda like the reverse of what FOX did, kept the TV channels and sold the TV-shows to Disney.

That doesn't sound right. Who would want to buy Nickelodeon if that didn't mean at least most of the IPs under its umbrella?

[neatoman]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

That doesn't sound right. Who would want to buy Nickelodeon if that didn't mean at least most of the IPs under its umbrella?

Somebody who could benefit from an established brand name, pre-existing broadcasting deals, already set-up equipment and staff, etc...?

I'll agree that Nickelodeon itself has less appeal if it doesn't come with creative control over Butt-Ugly Martians, Back at the Barnyard and Breadwinners but whoever owns still controls pretty much a third of children's programming and will still likely be airing whatever new stuff Paramount produces. Disney may now be the producers of the Simpsons and Family Guy but to my knowledge they still debut new episodes on FOX, so just because they're distinct entities now doesn't mean much changed for the broadcasting side. I get that in the era of streaming, owning a TV channel without IP attached isn't as appealing as it used to be but if we already know these deals get to pass because the channels remain without the IPs, there has to be some appeal in just the channel itself, right?

Spoiler:

And the specific shows I mentioned are meant as a joke in case you couldn't tell. SpongeBob may be huge, Avatar TLA may be well liked and there are certainly stuff that has nostalgic value... But most of Nickelodeon's shows are, and let's not forget this, horrible and largely forgotten garbage.

[CyberCubed]

Kids don't even watch regular TV anymore anyway, do you think kids today watch the cartoon children's blocks like in the 90's or early 2000's? TV has already been dying since early 2010.

The kids block shows no longer matter, especially since any new cartoons are also always put up on the official streaming channels anyway so kids can watch them at any time.

[ranger_scout]

The merger is being investigated by a UK competition watchdog.

https://deadline.com/2026/06/paramou...ty-1236951250/

[ZariusTwo]

Australia has cleared the merger

https://deadline.com/2026/06/paramou...ia-1236952390/

[ranger_scout]

The EU has begun a probe into the Middle East funding for the deal.

https://variety.com/2026/film/news/e...ng-1236771268/

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by ranger_scout

The EU has begun a probe into the Middle East funding for the deal.

https://variety.com/2026/film/news/e...ng-1236771268/

That IS kind of the elephant in the room. As long as what they've been saying is demonstrably true that no Arabs are having any controlling or influencing stake in anything it should be fine. However, if suddenly after the deal closes we start seeing Saudi Arabian actors and actresses appearing randomly in big tentpole WB movies we'll know that SOMETHING dodgy is going on.

[sdp]

That's not an elephant in the room. Saudi investors have been diversifying for at least a decade now. They don't want to be left behind when the world moves from oil.
Look at many large entertainment and video game companies, they already have majority stakes, even controlling ones in many western businesses, including big ones like Nintendo. They let things be run the way they are, they aren't interested in sending any message, they just want the companies to continue to run well and return their investment.

As far as CN/Nick we don't really know what they're negotiating but CN is too intertwined with WB to be separated. I also think it could mean the TV networks. But we don't have the details. Anything is just speculation from clickbait sites and people.