And even if he wasn't the consolidation of news agencies (CNN owned by Warner and CBS owned by Paramount) is a bigger threat to the country than just the consolidation of entertainment companies.
This is what I don’t get. It’s pretty clear Paramount really wants CNN, but that isn’t even included in the Netflix deal. Why not just make an insane offer for the cable channels instead?
I’m guessing Ellison views this current window with Trump in office as a golden opportunity to aggressively expand. Like a smash n’ grab before the cops arrive.
Not to mention that Jared Kushner and the Saudis are also in on that Paramount deal. Imagine the Saudi Arabian government/royal family and Jared Kushner owning a major stake in CNN.
Three months after her husband, Charlie Kirk, was assassinated, Erika Kirk will open up about life, loss, the state of political discourse and more in a one-hour town hall event moderated by Bari Weiss, CBS News' editor-in-chief.
The event, filmed before a studio audience, will feature Kirk fielding questions from young evangelicals, prominent religious leaders, and figures across the political spectrum.
But they're showing hints of it with firing or not renewing Colbert's contract who has been critical of Trump and CBS just laying for Trump. They stated it was due to "money" but Colbert's show has been #1 in late night.
So going back to Netflix owing WB, I would rather Netflix owing WB rather than someone who could create a state run media company.
Netflix would at least be moving back to a more consumer convenient direction, back towards a time when most content could be found at a single location instead of divided up amongst a dozen partial kingdoms. I wouldn't expect Paramount to even continue hosting much of the content.
That's why I said "consumer convenient" and not "consumer friendly". In the current era of service enshittification, however, I'll at least take convenience if it's gonna be a monopoly either way.
You got one example over the last 80 years? The break up of Bell is literally it. The oligarchy has been building this country in its image for 3 generations
Remember the Government stepped in Multiple times with AT&T. They blocked AT&T from buying T-Mobile. I believe they also had issues with AT&T wanting to buy Time Warner.
You don't remember Microsoft Anti-Trust case with the whole Internet Explore drama with Netscape? There was also block in a Fanduel and DraftKings merger some years ago.
The government doesn't even technically have to win the case for the companies to start doing things to avoid actually crossing into the threshold of being a monopoly.
Hell, Microsoft basically helped Apple stay afloat in the late 90's just to be able to say "Look! We have competition!"
That fear has deteriorated quickly, and moreso now.
Microsoft had some penalties in Europe because of that in the 90s, but nothing happened to them in the US - despite blatant anti-competitive behavior - because they dragged out the case until Bush II got into office and dropped it.
If I remember right Taft ultimately busted more trusts than Roosevelt but after that all the progressives left the party when they wouldn't nominate Teddy for a third term which led the republicans to embrace "fiscally conservative" candidates which led us into the Great Depression lol.
Well like what is this a monopoly of. If you include Disney+ and especially if you include YouTube (which feels extremely reasonable to me) I don't even think Netflix + HBO would hold 50% market share. Oligopoly? Sure. But this isn't Kroger + Albertsons where a merger will cause people to only have one choice for a supermarket in their town.
So are they just throwing the bid up to make it look like there's competition, makes me wonder? I mean Netflix could use some actual experienced studios, but if they go through with this, the prices are going to be even higher, or you will have to buy another subscription, etc. So we are getting even closer to cable streaming again, where the most affordable option requires to watch a bunch of ads, get bundled deals, etc. Scheduled non-demand programming coming next lol
This is one of the most openly corrupt displays of an oligarch family, showing they have literally zero fear of repercussions.
The threat is you have to take our offer otherwise the President will decline your merger.
Paramount under the Elissons had CBS purge dissent and normalize MAGA in that it is now Fox lite. A lot of the media is a full propaganda tool for these extremists and this would supercharge it.
Democrats need to arrest and hold these people accountable, but so many are funded by the same money that they will only give a slap on the wrist despite overwhelming public pressure. We may literally need a new party to fight this corruption
It’s not hyperbolic to say we are on the road that in a few years Batman and Superman will tell you Nazis are okay
Considering Ellison is fully on board with the larger goals of the administration I expect everything to be bent and broken to give the win to Paramount
I read somewhere that WB only needs like 20 percent of the share holders to reject the hostile takeover for it to fail, so I’m not sure about that. This is their last resort too since WB already accepted Netflix’s deal.
I was more expecting Trump "directing" the FTC to suddenly care about monopoly consolidation to invalidate the merger, but then allow the Paramount one to go through.
Pretty sure if the Netflix deal falls apart, they’d accept Comcast before Paramount lol. The people who own WB seem hell bent on not letting Paramount get it.
Hostile takeovers rarely work. The board and large institutional buyers are not going to support it. In order to actually win they need to get over 50% of shareholders to agree to sell at the tender price.
I'm sure part of the Netflix deal will involve providing some of their stock to existing WBD stockholders (as well as cash). If that is true, I hope the stockholders look at this and realize that owning a piece of Netflix is a much better long-term move than holding a piece of Paramount.
I want someone to roll in and just shatter them all and let god sort it out. No bailouts. No special dispensation. You built a monopoly? It's gone, and if you reform it, we will crush it again. Enjoy capitalism.
They announced an agreement. There’s still months or years of final negotiations and regulatory hurdles. And throughout, anyone else is free to go to the shareholders and say “we’ll offer you a better deal.”
What’s amazing is that everybody spell the company being bought incorrectly: it’s “Warner Bros.” That’s is the name of the company not “Warner Brothers” although they are pronounced the same.
This competing offer should be called a trump offer.
“Paramount's $30-per-share cash offer includes financing from Affinity Partners, the investment firm run by Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, and several Middle Eastern government-run investment funds, and is backstopped by the Ellison family. Larry Ellison, the world's second-richest person, is the father of Paramount head David Ellison and has close ties to the White House.”
That would be worse than Netflix, which is saying something.
Way worse. Because CEO of Paramount is Trump's bitch.
Even without the Trump association, Larry Ellison is a fucking asshole. Ask anyone who has worked I in IT in the last 40 years.
And even if he wasn't the consolidation of news agencies (CNN owned by Warner and CBS owned by Paramount) is a bigger threat to the country than just the consolidation of entertainment companies.
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This is what I don’t get. It’s pretty clear Paramount really wants CNN, but that isn’t even included in the Netflix deal. Why not just make an insane offer for the cable channels instead?
I’m guessing Ellison views this current window with Trump in office as a golden opportunity to aggressively expand. Like a smash n’ grab before the cops arrive.
The cops aren’t going to arrive. More thieves and vultures will arrive and the enshittification will continue.
It’s already turning into Fox News lite. It would just become Fox News II
but Mark Thompson already did this?
Not to mention that Jared Kushner and the Saudis are also in on that Paramount deal. Imagine the Saudi Arabian government/royal family and Jared Kushner owning a major stake in CNN.
Didnt they also buy EA?
Which is probably why this is happening
Larry Ellison's son. I desperately want the Netflix deal to win out. Have to stop the conservative nut jobs from taking over the media
So you are saying it’s a lock?
Which is why Trump said he was going to cancel this.
It's the other way around. Trump is the techno fascist's puppet sent in to do the damage and take the fall
Has cbs news become like Fox?
judge for yourself: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/erika-kirk-town-hall-cbs/
Yeah, that pretty much speaks for itself.
Walter Cronkite is rolling in his grave
figures across the political spectrum my ass.
Not yet and it remains to be seen if they do.
But they're showing hints of it with firing or not renewing Colbert's contract who has been critical of Trump and CBS just laying for Trump. They stated it was due to "money" but Colbert's show has been #1 in late night.
So going back to Netflix owing WB, I would rather Netflix owing WB rather than someone who could create a state run media company.
Netflix would at least be moving back to a more consumer convenient direction, back towards a time when most content could be found at a single location instead of divided up amongst a dozen partial kingdoms. I wouldn't expect Paramount to even continue hosting much of the content.
So... a monopoly?
* Anyone downvoting this comment is certified ʀеtаrded.
That's why I said "consumer convenient" and not "consumer friendly". In the current era of service enshittification, however, I'll at least take convenience if it's gonna be a monopoly either way.
I miss the days when Monopolies were treated as illegal.
When was that? A five year stretch sometime in the 50s?
Ha, maybe some company called AT&T in the 80's.
You got one example over the last 80 years? The break up of Bell is literally it. The oligarchy has been building this country in its image for 3 generations
Didn't the Albertson's-Kroger merger get blocked by the courts last year?
And even then, Bell literally reassembled itself like T-1000. Now its a duopoly instead of a monopoly. (AT&T & Verizon) Big whoop.
Oh of course, I'm in agreement, just being facetious. 😅
Remember the Government stepped in Multiple times with AT&T. They blocked AT&T from buying T-Mobile. I believe they also had issues with AT&T wanting to buy Time Warner.
You don't remember Microsoft Anti-Trust case with the whole Internet Explore drama with Netscape? There was also block in a Fanduel and DraftKings merger some years ago.
This.
The government doesn't even technically have to win the case for the companies to start doing things to avoid actually crossing into the threshold of being a monopoly.
Hell, Microsoft basically helped Apple stay afloat in the late 90's just to be able to say "Look! We have competition!"
That fear has deteriorated quickly, and moreso now.
I remember Ma Bell before they got split up
Microsoft was hit for bundling explorer with windows os.
Iirc they were nailed for office included with windows as well
Microsoft had some penalties in Europe because of that in the 90s, but nothing happened to them in the US - despite blatant anti-competitive behavior - because they dragged out the case until Bush II got into office and dropped it.
Yes, I am still salty about the whole BeOS thing.
I feel like FDR was the last president to aggressively pursue anti-trust so this guy must be 80.
And his cousin was the last republican to push for it.
If I remember right Taft ultimately busted more trusts than Roosevelt but after that all the progressives left the party when they wouldn't nominate Teddy for a third term which led the republicans to embrace "fiscally conservative" candidates which led us into the Great Depression lol.
Teddy was one of the first major progressives, and his faction pretty much left the GOP and became Democrats eventually during the New Deal Coalition.
First half of the 20th century. All the way up to the 80s if you’re feeling generous
It was briefly back in vogue between 2021-2024. Thats why half of silicon valley went full throttle for the current pro-monopoly regime.
Yeah they felt the winds change and put their full might behind the pedo party to put a stop to that shit
Speaking of monopolies, people really misunderstood the point of that game, it wasn't meant to be a challenge, it was ment to be a warning lol..
The flipping of the board? That’s the feeling we were supposed to get.
Anti-trust laws were mainly used against unions for being “labor monopolies”.
I get it but this isn’t a monopoly. I believe Disney and Universal would still be bigger than any potential merger for Warner Bros.
Monopoly within specific industries. This sale will not compete vs theme parks, for instance. Most large companies operate within several industries.
Well like what is this a monopoly of. If you include Disney+ and especially if you include YouTube (which feels extremely reasonable to me) I don't even think Netflix + HBO would hold 50% market share. Oligopoly? Sure. But this isn't Kroger + Albertsons where a merger will cause people to only have one choice for a supermarket in their town.
So are they just throwing the bid up to make it look like there's competition, makes me wonder? I mean Netflix could use some actual experienced studios, but if they go through with this, the prices are going to be even higher, or you will have to buy another subscription, etc. So we are getting even closer to cable streaming again, where the most affordable option requires to watch a bunch of ads, get bundled deals, etc. Scheduled non-demand programming coming next lol
Oh for sure! It's already like that in some ways. The Disney+, ESPN, Hulu bundle. Going to be more of that coming soon.
That's capitalism. It was never about creating a better system than cable, it was about dismantling their market share and locking in users.
This is one of the most openly corrupt displays of an oligarch family, showing they have literally zero fear of repercussions.
The threat is you have to take our offer otherwise the President will decline your merger.
Paramount under the Elissons had CBS purge dissent and normalize MAGA in that it is now Fox lite. A lot of the media is a full propaganda tool for these extremists and this would supercharge it.
Democrats need to arrest and hold these people accountable, but so many are funded by the same money that they will only give a slap on the wrist despite overwhelming public pressure. We may literally need a new party to fight this corruption
It’s not hyperbolic to say we are on the road that in a few years Batman and Superman will tell you Nazis are okay
Can’t, first past the post would rail it into the ground.
I'd rather have Netflix take it than MAGAmount.
I so hope they lose fuck Ellison
Considering Ellison is fully on board with the larger goals of the administration I expect everything to be bent and broken to give the win to Paramount
I read somewhere that WB only needs like 20 percent of the share holders to reject the hostile takeover for it to fail, so I’m not sure about that. This is their last resort too since WB already accepted Netflix’s deal.
I was more expecting Trump "directing" the FTC to suddenly care about monopoly consolidation to invalidate the merger, but then allow the Paramount one to go through.
Pretty sure if the Netflix deal falls apart, they’d accept Comcast before Paramount lol. The people who own WB seem hell bent on not letting Paramount get it.
What makes you think Trump won't torpedo that one too?
Hostile takeovers rarely work. The board and large institutional buyers are not going to support it. In order to actually win they need to get over 50% of shareholders to agree to sell at the tender price.
Hopefully the fact CBS aired a 60 mins interview with MTG pissed Trump up enough but might just up the bribe
Let's play a game of "Who has the Biggest Bribe for Trump"
Ah, fuck paramount and fuck this corruption.
Shareholders aren’t going to accept this, the Netflix deal probably still nets them more money because they aren’t getting Discover out of this.
Telling that they didn't raise their offer despite it now being a hostile one. Almost as if knowing the FTC is going to nix the Netflix bid.
'Murica. Are we winning yet?
I swear some people need to be voted off the island. The Ellison's being one of many.
He owns the island. The problem is he doesn’t stay there.
Fuck that's even worse.
I'm not surprised that Kushner is a part of this bid...
I'm sure part of the Netflix deal will involve providing some of their stock to existing WBD stockholders (as well as cash). If that is true, I hope the stockholders look at this and realize that owning a piece of Netflix is a much better long-term move than holding a piece of Paramount.
Given other Ellison owned companies are starting to drop drastically, that’s a strong point.
We need a new, non racist, Teddy Roosevelt.
Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren.... we had our chance and we blew it
I want someone to roll in and just shatter them all and let god sort it out. No bailouts. No special dispensation. You built a monopoly? It's gone, and if you reform it, we will crush it again. Enjoy capitalism.
We are full circle back to cable like crap
I thought they were already in the finished deal with Netflix? Were they only in talks?
Yes, but Trump said it’s too big a market share, and now it’s clear what the reason was.
They announced an agreement. There’s still months or years of final negotiations and regulatory hurdles. And throughout, anyone else is free to go to the shareholders and say “we’ll offer you a better deal.”
Kinda like Spirit and Frontier had an agreement and then JetBlue came in and said “hold on a second…”
Oooh, paramount caught wind of Trump asking for a bribe and wants to cash in.
Might be tough to beat Netflix, I think they signed Melania's film studio.
Aw the billionaires are playing monopoly 🎲
We had a chance to make the world better, hold everyone accountable! But we failed😔
Corporate consolidation blows. No one wins except some execs and shareholders.
Workers, consumers, and society all take a hit every time these conglomerates acquire more
I will have no problem canceling HBO Max if Paramount buys them.
Another twist in the streaming race. If this bid sticks, the industry could reshuffle again fast.
The government has the final say in who wins, and I would venture a guess that they're going to go with the right-wing buyers
Where is the financing for this hostile bid coming from?
Well, Kushner is involved. So Saudi oil money presumably. Who wouldn’t want them running the media?
It isn’t presumptive. We know the Paramount offer is backed by money from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Gulf nations for the equity (Saudi)
Local banks and private credit for the debt (Apollo and Citi)
Overpay then dismantle
What’s amazing is that everybody spell the company being bought incorrectly: it’s “Warner Bros.” That’s is the name of the company not “Warner Brothers” although they are pronounced the same.
This competing offer should be called a trump offer.
“Paramount's $30-per-share cash offer includes financing from Affinity Partners, the investment firm run by Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, and several Middle Eastern government-run investment funds, and is backstopped by the Ellison family. Larry Ellison, the world's second-richest person, is the father of Paramount head David Ellison and has close ties to the White House.”
America first…