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Paramount-Skydance to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery for $111B

By Drooid · Oct 6, 2026, 1:57 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Skydance Acquires WBD

David Ellison’s Paramount-Skydance will acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, creating the Skydance media conglomerate.
The transaction values the deal at $111 billion, offering $30 per share to WBD owners.
A settlement with 12 states requires at least 30 theatrical releases each year for two years.
Co-CEO Ynon Kreiz will manage day-to-day operations while Ellison leads strategy.
CEO David Zaslav will exit with a parachute payout of at least $550 million.

Summary

Hemisphere Launches TODO

Hemisphere Media Group launches “TODO familia,” a free ad-supported Spanish-language family TV channel this month.
Versant renews its distribution agreement with Verizon, keeping its cable network portfolio on Fios customers.
Disney licenses a large slate of Disney+ and 20th Television titles to Netflix, including “Percy Jackson” seasons 1-2.
Turnstr+ debuts as a free, creator-first streaming platform positioned against traditional TV services.

History

Historical Context

The 2000 AOL–Time Warner merger, valued at $165 billion, created the era’s largest media conglomerate but soon unraveled under debt and. AOL’s stock plummeted 70 % within two years, while Time Warner’s advertising revenue fell $5 billion, prompting board resignations among executives later. Similarly, David Ellison’s Paramount-Skydance plan to buy Warner Bros. Discovery for $111 billion mirrors that consolidation drive, with Ynon Kreiz and David Zaslav reshuffling leadership. The repeat of massive mergers suggests regulators will intensify scrutiny, while new entrants like Turnstr+ and Hemisphere Media’s “TODO familia” signal competitive diversification.

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Skydance Acquires WBD

David Ellison’s Paramount-Skydance will acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, creating the Skydance media conglomerate.
The transaction values the deal at $111 billion, offering $30 per share to WBD owners.
A settlement with 12 states requires at least 30 theatrical releases each year for two years.
Co-CEO Ynon Kreiz will manage day-to-day operations while Ellison leads strategy.
CEO David Zaslav will exit with a parachute payout of at least $550 million.

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