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Netflix Will Now Pay All Cash for Warner Bros to Keep Paramount at Bay

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Netflix has shifted to an all-cash offer for Warner Bros Discovery’s studio and streaming assets, seeking to block rival bids from Paramount and strengthen its position in a heated consolidation battle.

The revised bid values Warner Bros at $82.7 billion, or $27.75 per share, replacing an earlier cash-and-stock proposal. The move has unanimous backing from Warner Bros’ board and is designed to provide shareholders with greater certainty amid volatility in Netflix’s own share price. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said the all-cash structure would accelerate the timeline to a shareholder vote, expected by April.

Both Netflix and Paramount have been vying for Warner Bros’ film and television studios, extensive content library, and major franchises including Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, and DC Comics characters such as Batman and Superman. Paramount, led by Skydance’s David Ellison, has pressed shareholders to reconsider its rival bid, but Warner Bros has repeatedly rejected it, arguing that Netflix’s offer delivers superior value and lower execution risk.

Market reaction was mixed, with Netflix shares edging higher while Paramount and Warner Bros shares slipped. Analysts said Netflix’s cash-only pivot raises pressure on Paramount to submit a clearly superior proposal if it hopes to stay in the race. Regulatory scrutiny remains a concern, as lawmakers have warned that further media consolidation could limit competition and raise prices for consumers.

Paramount+ Secures Five-Year Deal to Stream PBR’s “Unleash the Beast” Bull Riding Series

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Paramount+ will become the new streaming home of Professional Bull Riders’ (PBR) premier competition series, “Unleash the Beast,” under a five-year media rights deal announced Wednesday by Skydance-owned Paramount and PBR.

The agreement will see Paramount+ stream live coverage of the elite bull riding circuit beginning in December, featuring the world’s top 35 riders as they compete across 17 U.S. states for prize money and championship points. “Unleash the Beast” will also continue its broadcast presence on CBS Sports, which has aired PBR events since 2013.

The deal marks another major shift in live sports programming toward streaming platforms, as media companies vie for premium events to attract subscribers. CBS will retain coverage of PBR’s “Game of the Week” through the 2026 season, ensuring the sport maintains a dual presence on traditional television and digital streaming.

PBR is part of TKO Group Holdings, which recently signed a seven-year, $7.7 billion exclusive broadcasting deal with Paramount for U.S. coverage of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) starting in 2026.

“Unleash the Beast” will kick off its 2026 season in December in Manchester, New Hampshire, blending PBR’s rugged live energy with Paramount+’s growing lineup of live sports offerings.

Larry Ellison reemerges as tech and media power player

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Forty-eight years after co-founding Oracle, Larry Ellison is once again at the center of global business headlines. Oracle’s stock surged 35.9% on the back of blockbuster cloud computing deals tied to AI, propelling Ellison’s net worth to nearly $400 billion—second only to Elon Musk.

Adding to his influence, Ellison’s family-controlled Paramount is preparing a bid for Warner Bros Discovery, a move that could dramatically reshape Hollywood. At the same time, his son David Ellison has begun steering CBS News with a more conservative tilt, hiring former Hudson Institute CEO Kenneth Weinstein as ombudsman and reportedly courting journalist Bari Weiss for a leadership role.

Ellison has also entrenched Oracle in the TikTok saga, providing U.S. infrastructure for the Chinese-owned app since 2022 amid national security scrutiny. Behind the flash of yachts, Hawaiian islands, and movie cameos—he played himself in Iron Man 2—Ellison has steadily bet big on AI.

Oracle became a major AI landlord, securing marquee clients including Meta, Elon Musk’s xAI, and OpenAI, which committed to a $300 billion compute deal over five years. This pivot helped Oracle’s booked revenue soar more than four-fold to $455 billion.

Unlike rivals Microsoft, Amazon, and Google, Oracle chose not to build custom AI chips, instead deepening ties with Nvidia. At a 2024 dinner with Musk and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Ellison reportedly said, “Please take our money”—and soon after, Oracle secured GPU supplies that fueled the Stargate project with OpenAI.

Oracle’s cloud revival—after a failed 2016 launch—has proven cheaper and more adaptable. Its rapid scaling during the Zoom pandemic traffic surge and smooth takeover of TikTok’s U.S. user data in 2022 highlighted technical strength.

Still, huge risks remain. Oracle outsources critical infrastructure like land, data centers, and power, making it reliant on partners. Analysts warn that dependence on a small group of AI clients—particularly OpenAI—could expose Oracle to shocks if those firms stumble.

Ellison’s career has long swung between hubris and vindication, but with AI reshaping the tech landscape, the Silicon Valley “bad boy” may yet have the last laugh.