New sports streaming - Venu (Fox/Disney/WarnerBros)

[Unchained]

All the ins and outs of the ongoing fight for WarnerBrosDiscovery. The billions of dollars being thrown around is just mind-boggling. For the cycling fan wanting a return to GCN+ days it seems is just going to get more expensive and/or parcelled up with other sports -
https://www.latimes.com/entertainme...vid-zaslav-warner-bros-deal-paramount-ellison

Just a note about heavy hitters like Apple, they don't look to have much of a sports profile and if they were to buy WBD that might stay the same or get worse about pursuing sports coverage.
It's strange to me that the NFL has figured out a way to sell product through multiple competitors with what looks like relative harmony. Sell to network TV, Amazon Prime, Netflix, and cable via ESPN and have boutique products through subscription services like NFL network.. I don't know what my price point would be for an all inclusive bike racing package, I certainly would pay for the convenience to see all majors and many other races. I would have to see a schedule and associated price. Right now for me the ala carte Chinese food menu style doesn't work.. You need Netflix, Apple and 2 other services to get what I like to watch, way too expensive already. I am not going to pay @$30-40+ USD per month more for better cycling coverage than what I currently have. I think this year I watched majority on Eurosport, YouTube and Facebook because people had streams of Del Toro races..
I personally feel like these companies are pricing themselves out of customers.. It's a common complaint when big corporations absorb all the minor players and things look like semi monopolies.. But if the price and products stabilize.. I am cool with that.. But to watch bike racing, NFL some movies, local news, HBO, Apple, Netflix is a couple hundred bucks a month, I am out.
If they spend billions they are going to want the money back asap..hence higher prices.

 

[Rob5091]

I wrote this could be a humdinger and now the ball is rolling!
https://nypost.com/2025/10/31/media...pport-for-paramount-skydances-takeover-offer/

This one in particular would go before the more free-market oriented DOJ antitrust division versus the Federal Communications Commission, which is run by conservative firebrand Brendan Carr who would be less inclined to throw a bone to, say Comcast CEO Brian Roberts.

As it turns out, Carr does not have an official vote in the sale of all or part of WBD because none of it involves the transfer of local broadcast licenses that the FCC regulates. In other words, the decision – at least on paper – would be up to DOJ antitrust chief Gail Slater, another Trump appointee, but also her staff, longtime DOJ staff attorneys who exercise considerable discretion on such matters as deal approval.

How about using a recently widowed woman to get a deal? (Now we're talking!)

... [Comcast CEO]Roberts could win over Trump by copying some of the things done by the Ellisons, including hiring a right-leaning ombudsman and journalist Bari Weiss, a critic of progressivism to oversee its left-leaning television network CBS. He’s called for Roberts to hire Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, who now runs his Turning Point USA conservative nonprofit as editor-in-chief of NBC.

Or how about using your competitior's advisors against them ... genius!
https://www.ndtvprofit.com/pursuits...iscoverys-data-room-for-potential-acquisition

The video streaming giant, Netflix Inc., is actively exploring a strategic acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery’s core studio and streaming operations, according to an exclusive report by Reuters. Citing three sources familiar with the matter, Reuters revealed that Netflix has retained investment bank Moelis & Co. to advise on a prospective offer. Moelis & Co. is a notable choice, as it recently advised Skydance Media on its successful bid for Paramount Global, demonstrating experience in handling complex media mergers. Further, the report states that Netflix has been granted access to the crucial data room, which contains the detailed financial information necessary for formulating a formal bid.

 

[Rob5091]

Looks like we have to wait until December to get an update -

Yahoo Finance

Warner Bros. Discovery is aiming to provide an update on whether it will split or sell the company toward the middle or end of December, according to CNBC.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/05/warner-bros-discovery-wbd-sale-split-plans-deadline.html

 

[Rob5091]

Somebody buy the company quick!

AOL Finance

Warner Bros. Discovery has been telling investors it wants to split the company in two — and just produced some evidence that such a deal is necessary.

The owner of CNN, HBO and the Warner Bros. studio said it swung to a loss of $148 million in the third quarter, as a box-office boost spurred by films like the latest “Superman” were offset by declines in its traditional TV business, which suffered from comparisons to the year-earlier quarter when the company enjoyed rights to broadcast the 2024 Paris Olympics in Europe. The company has been pushing to separate its studios and streaming operations from its TV networks, and has said it will consider a sale or other transaction.

https://www.latimes.com/entertainme...er-bros-sale-q3-results-paramount-sale-zaslav

The studio witnessed a major decline in advertising revenue in the third quarter, reporting $1.41 billion, down 16% from the previous year, which executives attributed to declines in the audience for its domestic linear channels, including CNN, TNT and TLC.

 

[Rob5091]

Comcast get the team together for the WBD attempted purchase. Lots of money to be made as advisers ... CEO Roberts though is going to have a tough time getting it through the Washington swamp. Time to donate bigly to a certain building project!
https://www.reuters.com/business/fi...explore-bid-warner-bros-discovery-2025-11-06/

Comcast has retained financial advisors and gained access to financial information as it explores a bid for Warner Bros Discovery’s (WBD.O)
, opens new tab studio and streaming businesses, according to four sources familiar with the matter.
NBCUniversal’s parent company has hired Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to evaluate a prospective offer, two of the sources said. Comcast also has been granted access to the data room, which contains the financial information it would need to make a bid, according to two of the sources familiar with the matter.

 

[Rob5091]

You want a flutter on the outcome of the WBD sale? Here's a few odds and some interesting possibilities - Sony? Private equity? Apple? Combinations of prospective buyers?
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/warner-bros-sale-odds-buyers-1236421920/