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Re:Netflix Backs Out of Warner Bros. Bidding, Paramount Set ... by darth_avocado on Thursday February 26, 2026 @06:59PM (#47174180)
Netflix is going to buy them both for the same price in about 5 years. Paramount is a highly leveraged company. They are not going to come out of this very expensive acquisition unscathed.
Re:Netflix Backs Out of Warner Bros. Bidding, Paramount Set ... by jsnell on Thursday February 26, 2026 @07:51PM (#47174757)
I'm hope not, and that they'll instead spin out WB, for it to be gobbled up again. Anything done three times is tradition, and breaking it just wouldn't do.
Re:Netflix Backs Out of Warner Bros. Bidding, Paramount Set ... by cyanydeez on Thursday February 26, 2026 @07:38PM (#47174630)
As long as they get to keep a media alt-right afloat in politics, it doesn't matter their value.
Re:Netflix Backs Out of Warner Bros. Bidding, Paramount Set ... by mudil on Thursday February 26, 2026 @07:21PM (#47174428)
I would not bet against RedBird and Ellisons.
Re:Netflix Backs Out of Warner Bros. Bidding, Paramount Set ... by andsoitis on Thursday February 26, 2026 @07:22PM (#47174448)
One must.
Re:Netflix Backs Out of Warner Bros. Bidding, Paramount Set ... by HDThoreaun on Thursday February 26, 2026 @07:26PM (#47174495)
The Ellisons have zero liquidity issues. Theyll sell off parts to cut costs but no chance they sell the stuff they actually want
Re:Netflix Backs Out of Warner Bros. Bidding, Paramount Set ... by programmertote on Thursday February 26, 2026 @09:05PM (#47175418)
Is it rumor or true that Saudis or some middle eastern financiers are part of the Paramount bid?
Re:Netflix Backs Out of Warner Bros. Bidding, Paramount Set ... by gruez on Thursday February 26, 2026 @10:09PM (#47175944)
Maybe you're thinking of tiktok?
Re:Netflix Backs Out of Warner Bros. Bidding, Paramount Set ... by stopbulying on Thursday February 26, 2026 @10:27PM (#47176083)
"After Hostile Takeover Fail, Ellison's Paramount Skydance Sues WBD Netflix" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46642776

"Jared Kushner is part of Paramount's hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery" https://www.axios.com/2025/12/08/jared-kushner-paramount-war... .. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46195124 :

> Affinity Partners, the private equity firm led by Jared Kushner, is part of Paramount's hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros Discovery, according to a regulatory filing

> Affinity Partners was not mentioned in Paramount's press release on Monday morning about its $108 billion bid, nor were participating sovereign wealth funds from Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Qatar.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46196242 :

> "Letter to DOJ on Kushner - FARA (Wyden - Raskin) final.pdf" (October 2024) https://oversightdemocrats.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/demo... :

> Recent public reports and a Senate investigation have uncovered significant evidence that Mr. Kushner acted as an unregistered foreign agent of [SA]

>> Kushner - who was never credentialed by State Department, an ambassador, or registered as a foreign agent in the US or in any other country - has now, in 2025, helped sell Electronic Arts to SA and is trying to help sell Warner Brothers Discovery to SA, a foreign territory which does not support Freedom of Speech.

"Kushner's Affinity Partners exits Paramount bid for Warner Bros. Discovery" (2025-12) https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/16/kushner-affinity-paramount-w...

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46196370 :

>> Trump wanted Ellison to purchase TikTok (from the owners in China that weren't offering to sell it) so that US data would remain in the US.

>> By comparison, why did Trump/Kushner help sell EA (NFL Madden, NBA Live, PGA Tour,) to foreign interests, and why is Trump/Kushner trying to help sell WBD to foreign interests?

Re:Netflix Backs Out of Warner Bros. Bidding, Paramount Set ... by stopbulying on Friday February 27, 2026 @05:46AM (#47178990)
WBD includes franchises like Batman, Superman, CNN, HBO, and Chuck (TV Series).

Why did Kushner and Affinity Partners try to sell these American companies to foreign interests?

Re:Netflix Backs Out of Warner Bros. Bidding, Paramount Set ... by dyauspitr on Friday February 27, 2026 @03:12AM (#47177954)
I’m sure this administration has some plan to fund this. They want to turn our airwaves in far right propaganda machines, they’ll find a $100 billion somewhere.
Re:Netflix Backs Out of Warner Bros. Bidding, Paramount Set ... by throw0101c on Friday February 27, 2026 @07:14AM (#47179638)
> Paramount is a highly leveraged company. They are not going to come out of this very expensive acquisition unscathed.

Is this before or after Ellison et co gut the news side of the organization to create another Fox New / RT? We've already seen what happened with 60 Minutes and CBS News:

* https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/29/bari-weiss-c...

* https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/01/26/inside-bari-we...

Re:Netflix Backs Out of Warner Bros. Bidding, Paramount Set ... by turtlesdown11 on Friday February 27, 2026 @08:46AM (#47180448)
How many people are going to watch a right wing CNN? We saw the CBS viewership for the new partisan news plummet.

At the end of the day, you have to draw attention to make money.

Re:Netflix Backs Out of Warner Bros. Bidding, Paramount Set ... by gamblor956 on Friday February 27, 2026 @03:13PM (#47184947)
Ellison is more pragmatic than his current activities make it appear. He's playing to the right wing now because Trump was in office, but during the last administration he played heavily to the left.

When push comes to shove, he'll follow the money. If Republicans lose the midterms, CBS will start shifting back to the middle to regain the millions of viewers it lost to NBC and ABC since Weiss took over and Weiss will probably be looking for a new job.

Re:Netflix Backs Out of Warner Bros. Bidding, Paramount Set ... by matt-attack on Saturday February 28, 2026 @02:19AM (#47191593)
I’ve listened to Bari for years in her podcast and she’s indistinguishable from every liberal I was around in the 80s and 90s.

Choosing not to jump aboard all the insane modern woke politics doesn’t make you some scary right winger.

She could only help a legacy news outfit in my opinion.