Who will buy Paramount?

[lowell]

I means movies from MGM+ to be shown on Paramount+ and have deal with MGM+ helped Paramount+ to have 1,000 extra movies on their service, addition to 500 movies. The deal expired last year and numbers of movies drop to 500, but with Showtime, they boosted the number to nearly 800.

https://www.nickalive.net/2021/05/paramount-plus-set-to-add-1000-movies.html

BET+ is going to shut down eventually but question would be when. Boomerang and Discovery+ are likely to be around longer, otherwise Zaslav would shut those services down by now.

Max is pricer and as for reason, Zaslav want Discovery+ to be offered as alternative if customers aren't willing to pay for Max.

Boomerang is mysterious - abandoned streaming service but still available to anyone to subscribe, so no new contents at all.

Also, Cinemax is still around and it could be merged into Max easily but no, WBD still make Cinemax separately. Many TV providers dropped or excluded Cinemax from bundle for several years now but it didn't change WBD's decision with Cinemax.

Technically, it didn't actually bode well for MotorTrend Plus (closed in March) and Global Cycling Network Plus (closed in December last year). Both of them had their content transferred over to both Max and Discovery+.

Even Bleacher Report became part of Max as an add-on tier.

I do think Discovery+ will slowly wind down but it will probably depend on Max's international rollout over time.

If Max becomes the bigger brand down the road, then they could keep the costs down by just focusing on Max.

Yeah, Boomerang's the very curious question here, because it could technically be its own hub in Max with its library or other existing hubs on there.

The Cinemax channels could continue to run as long as they can but I could see its library of shows end up on Max eventually down the road, probably not under Zaslav, though.

 

[Moe]

Technically, it didn't actually bode well for MotorTrend Plus (closed in March) and Global Cycling Network Plus (closed in December last year). Both of them had their content transferred over to both Max and Discovery+.

Both are much smaller and extremely niche, compared to Discovery+.

I do think Discovery+ will slowly wind down but it will probably depend on Max's international rollout over time.

Zaslav originally planned to absorb Discovery+ into Max but withdrew after realized most of their subscribers aren't going to switch to more expensive service, so shut Discovery+ down would lose much money and loyals for Discovery.

As for reason, Discovery+ is going to be around for strictly Discovery contents.

Even Bleacher Report became part of Max as an add-on tier.

You have to buy extra to access to Bleacher Report that include sport channels and games.

WBD could include Bleacher Report with hefty price hike from $16 per month to $22 per month (no ads option), but offer Bleacher Report separately helps to make Max cheaper.

I don't pay for Bleacher Report because I already have YouTube TV to watch sport games on TBS, TNT and TruTV. Bleacher Report is good for anyone who want to watch sports but don't have cable, satellite or vMVPD.

Yeah, Boomerang's the very curious question here, because it could technically be its own hub in Max with its library or other existing hubs on there.

It didn't help when Max delisted a lot of old cartoon shows in the US.

HBO Max was planned to have Boomerang and Cinemax included but dropped prior to launch.

 

[LinusFan303]

wow.... this is not good

Love (sarcastic) how they do a bunch of words to say they fired people at multiple divisions, made their vanity streaming service that shouldn't to exist worst by deleting shows and taking off shows and seasons of shows to pinch pennies, deleted services, all to save some money because they were burning money on said vanity streaming service.

 

[lowell]

Both are much smaller and extremely niche, compared to Discovery+.


Zaslav originally planned to absorb Discovery+ into Max but withdrew after realized most of their subscribers aren't going to switch to more expensive service, so shut Discovery+ down would lose much money and loyals for Discovery.

As for reason, Discovery+ is going to be around for strictly Discovery contents.


You have to buy extra to access to Bleacher Report that include sport channels and games.

WBD could include Bleacher Report with hefty price hike from $16 per month to $22 per month (no ads option), but offer Bleacher Report separately helps to make Max cheaper.

I don't pay for Bleacher Report because I already have YouTube TV to watch sport games on TBS, TNT and TruTV. Bleacher Report is good for anyone who want to watch sports but don't have cable, satellite or vMVPD.


It didn't help when Max delisted a lot of old cartoon shows in the US.

HBO Max was planned to have Boomerang and Cinemax included but dropped prior to launch.

That's kind of the issue with niche services, they have to bring large, consistent revenue or grow enough subscribers to continue to remain relevant alongside the flagship platforms.

If Max continues to grow a lot more subscribers and Discovery+ doesn't grow enough for it to be standalone, he might have to re-evaluate it.

That's why I mentioned the international expansion because Max is still in the early phase of that.

Bleacher Report was originally a standalone service on its website and its own app. It just got integrated into Max last year.

Love (sarcastic) how they do a bunch of words to say they fired people at multiple divisions, made their vanity streaming service that shouldn't to exist worst by deleting shows and taking off shows and seasons of shows to pinch pennies, deleted services, all to save some money because they were burning money on said vanity streaming service.

Yup, the write-off frenzy set off once Zaslav fired the first opening shot.

As for the integration of niche services into one main platform, I think it's also the costs of running the streaming operations in the long-run in general.

If you have to actually focus on multiple services at once, you will end up spreading yourselves pretty thin in the process.

That's why they will aim to have 1-2 main platforms instead of like 1 main platform and 3-6 other niche services.

 

[LinusFan303]

Apollo is back with an offer.

Sony and Apollo make formal $26-billion joint bid for Paramount

Adding to the intrigue around Paramount Global, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Apollo Global Management have formally submitted a bid for the storied studio.

finance.yahoo.com

(I have no horse in this race, and hope any deal fails because I don't want the Redstones or the Shareholders to walk away happy with cash, I want them to stay in the mess they created for themselves)

 

[lowell]

Apollo is back with an offer.

Sony and Apollo make formal $26-billion joint bid for Paramount

Adding to the intrigue around Paramount Global, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Apollo Global Management have formally submitted a bid for the storied studio.

finance.yahoo.com

(I have no horse in this race, and hope any deal fails because I don't want the Redstones or the Shareholders to walk away happy with cash, I want them to stay in the mess they created for themselves)

The sacking of Bakish just removed him from the equation a little early.

The drama over all this is basically still continuing regardless of his exit.

 

[Elijah Abrams]

Apollo is back with an offer.

Sony and Apollo make formal $26-billion joint bid for Paramount

Adding to the intrigue around Paramount Global, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Apollo Global Management have formally submitted a bid for the storied studio.

finance.yahoo.com

(I have no horse in this race, and hope any deal fails because I don't want the Redstones or the Shareholders to walk away happy with cash, I want them to stay in the mess they created for themselves)

I doubt Shari Redstone is going to accept Sony and Apollo's joint offer though.

 

[lowell]

I doubt Shari Redstone is going to accept Sony and Apollo's joint offer though.

There are ways to sweeten the pot to the Redstones if necessary.

They could technically also propose to buy out National Amusements from the Redstones as well because they want to offload it all.

If the Redstones were going to sell off the 1,500 theaters in the U.S., U.K., and Latin America, they might not want to do it by themselves if they can get another person to do that for them like Apollo.

If the Redstones want stock or a board seat from Sony, that might even be something they can look into with them.

Also, it's not just the Redstones solely making the decision, the board is also involved in anything moving forward.

 

[PF9]

I think that if the Sony/Apollo bid for Paramount Global falls through Sony will build a similar company by acquiring AMC Networks, Lionsgate, Starz, and the non-news assets of Fox. I'm hoping the Sony/Apollo bid does fall through, we don't need a repeat of Disney/Fox.

The new media conglomerate I am proposing for Sony should the Paramount Global bid fail would use AMC+ as the base for the company's flagship paid streaming service.

I think another major theater chain should buy the National Amusements theaters too.

 

[lowell]

I think that if the Sony/Apollo bid for Paramount Global falls through Sony will build a similar company by acquiring AMC Networks, Lionsgate, Starz, and the non-news assets of Fox. I'm hoping the Sony/Apollo bid does fall through, we don't need a repeat of Disney/Fox.

The new media conglomerate I am proposing for Sony should the Paramount Global bid fail would use AMC+ as the base for the company's flagship paid streaming service.

I think another major theater chain should buy the National Amusements theaters too.

If you can say that, then I can also say why can't Comcast go buy Lionsgate (with Starz) & AMC Networks? They do have the Hulu money.

Also, if the Redstones want Apollo to sell off the 1,500 theaters for them, it will probably be sold to other theater chains anyway unless Apollo wants to continue managing them instead.

 

[PF9]

I want Comcast to use the Hulu money to buy Universal Music Group (which would operate as a separate division of Comcast from NBCUniversal) to reunite the company with its namesake movie studio, as well as half of the currently-in-bankruptcy-protection Audacy Inc. (with Nintendo, which currently has a partnership with NBCU, buying the other half), Comcast's stake in Audacy, unlike UMG would be integrated into NBCU.

Audacy (which incidentally owns many former CBS-owned radio stations and is incidentally HQ'd in Philly like Comcast) allowing itself to be bought out in such a fashion could give some much-needed cash infusion.

If Skydance gets Paramount Global, I expect the latter not to operate as a separate subsidiary of Skydance but it would be a similar deal to when Paramount first merged with Viacom in 1994, with Paramount Global ceasing to exist.

 

[lowell]

I want Comcast to use the Hulu money to buy Universal Music Group (which would operate as a separate division of Comcast from NBCUniversal) to reunite the company with its namesake movie studio, as well as half of the currently-in-bankruptcy-protection Audacy Inc. (with Nintendo, which currently has a partnership with NBCU, buying the other half), Comcast's stake in Audacy, unlike UMG would be integrated into NBCU.

Audacy (which incidentally owns many former CBS-owned radio stations and is incidentally HQ'd in Philly like Comcast) allowing itself to be bought out in such a fashion could give some much-needed cash infusion.

If Skydance gets Paramount Global, I expect the latter not to operate as a separate subsidiary of Skydance but it would be a similar deal to when Paramount first merged with Viacom in 1994, with Paramount Global ceasing to exist.

AT&T didn't even try to go to pursue Warner Music Group when it owned WarnerMedia so why would Comcast pursue Universal Music Group at all?

These guys aren't exactly focused on music these days.

As for Paramount Global, I think everything is up in the air over there, given they just sacked Bakish the weekend before their earnings call (interestingly, 9 minutes and no Q&A):

"If the special committee wants to continue negotiating with Skydance, or Redstone wants more time to consider her options while still talking to Ellison’s company, the sides could extend an exclusivity window that ends Friday. It’s also possible Skydance could walk away from the deal, which it has been negotiating on for months."

There is also this scenario as well:

"Redstone could also argue she’s more comfortable with pushing forward at Paramount Global without a sale. Earlier this week, the board removed Bob Bakish as the company’s CEO. Installing a new CEO and giving investors a new plan forward would be essential to assuage a restless common shareholder base, who would likely argue the Apollo-Sony bid, if real, is in the best interest of shareholders."

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/02/sony-apollo-express-interest-in-paramount-buyout-amid-skydance-bid.html

 

[John Pannozzi]

Lionsgate is trying to spin-off Starz (or at least Lionsgate Studios is supposed to become its own separate entity, while Starz will be under the other surviving Lionsgate corporation), so I don't see anyone buying them together. Nor do I want them or AMC Networks acquired by the same company.

 

[Action!]

Oh wow. So no merger with Skydance at all.

 

[PF9]

The Sony/Apollo deal falling apart at least is good news.

 

[LinusFan303]

Hold the line! Cause anything can happen.

 

[themidnightlore]

Oh wow. So no merger with Skydance at all.

Here it comes, Hearst with that sweet steel chair! Or AMC Networks with the same steel chair that Hearst carries!
Please, let it happen for reals, because that would be unexpected.

 

[LinusFan303]

Here it comes, Hearst with that sweet steel chair! Or AMC Networks with the same steel chair that Hearst carries!
Please, let it happen for reals, because that would be unexpected.

The only way Hearst could buy the thing is if they are actually (smartly) willing to break things up, CBS would fit Hearst, though ABC and NBC would bristle at that sense well Hearst has stations with NBC and ABC, and Baltimore and Boston would be a conflict. AMC Networks doesn't have that kind of cash either, so again only buying a segment would work. The brain trust at Paramount doesn't want to break up.
I root for no purchase, though, especially one where the current runners walk away happy with extra cash.

 

[PF9]

If anything AMC Networks would be an acquisition target by someone. Since Sony isn't getting Paramount Global from the looks of it AMC would be a perfect target for Sony to build a conglomerate of similar scale to the others that own a major movie studio as outlined in previous posts of mine in here. This new conglomerate would not include Fox News (which would change its name) so I can drop my objections to sports leagues doing business with Fox.

 

[themidnightlore]

The only way Hearst could buy the thing is if they are actually (smartly) willing to break things up, CBS would fit Hearst, though ABC and NBC would bristle at that sense well Hearst has stations with NBC and ABC, and Baltimore and Boston would be a conflict. AMC Networks doesn't have that kind of cash either, so again only buying a segment would work. The brain trust at Paramount doesn't want to break up.
I root for no purchase, though, especially one where the current runners walk away happy with extra cash.

Paramount doesn't want to split, but splitting the parts would be the more intelligent option. Hm...