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The latest entertainment merger ....
Oct. 6th, 2026 09:18 pmAlmost forgot to share what I found via my work browser. It throws dumb articles at me? Some are worth a look, some really aren't? (Most of them are actually lists of horror films, novels, and scary places - which is disturbing. I suppose if I stopped clicking on them, it would stop throwing lists of horror movies at me? Want recs on horror movies, I can probably give them based on seeing all of these lists.)
This below article which I decided I had to share with folks (for reasons that currently escape me), finally provided information on the settlement between Skydance Media and the 12 State Attorney Generals who sued them over the Paramount/Warner Merger, along with the UK who also protested the merger, and the WGA.(They had to make settlements with a lot of people for this to go through.)
"After months of twists and turns that included a bidding war with Netflix and a legal fight with 12 state attorneys general and the Writers' Guild of America, Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery officially closed their $110 billion merger on Tuesday.
The move creates an entertainment behemoth that will oversee multiple streaming services, including Paramount+, Pluto TV, HBO Max and Discovery+, and TV networks like CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, HBO and CNN. It will also oversee a vast library of IP, such as Harry Potter, the DC Universe, Game of Thrones, SpongeBob SquarePants and more." (Paramount is behind Star Trek, Yellowstone franchise, NCIS.) I guess it was only a matter of time, considering UPN (Paramount) and WB. (Warner) became CW in the early 00s.
Paramount/Warner Bros/Discovery 110 Billion Merger Closes (If they hadn't closed this week, it would have cost Skydance millions.)
"Paramount received clearance from Warner Bros. shareholders and regulators and governments representing 68 jurisdictions globally, including the U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Communications Commission, the European Commission and the United Kingdom's Competition and Markets Authority."
Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin also approved a settlement between Paramount and a dozen state attorneys general that includes commitments to invest $1.5 billion in domestic film and TV production over five years, release at least 30 films a year in theaters and negotiate the distribution agreements for each company's suite of cable networks separately.
The combined company also must set up an independent editorial board to oversee CNN and CBS News' operations and continue to operate Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery's studio lots for five years, among other things.
Failure to comply with the various commitments in the settlement range from a $30 million penalty per film that misses the theatrical goal to forced divestitures of the company's 49% Miramax stake within a 12-month period as well as BET, Comedy Central, VH1, Smithsonian, Destination America and Science Channel within a 120-day period.
Additionally, Paramount reached a separate resolution with the WGA, including a five-year layoff pause at CBS and a $17.5 million health fund contribution.
It also agreed to concessions in the U.K. and Europe, including terminating its stake in United International Pictures and commitments to not to combine linear channels with its streaming services, maintain the editorial independence of its news services and children's networks and provide more funding to Channel 5 to support high-quality news, original children's programming and drama. "
***
Alrighty then.
Now I'm trying to decide if it still makes sense to boycott Paramount + and Warner Brothers (HBO). Is this good news or bad news or neither? Inevitable at any rate.
I don't know if the Ellisons are actually using funds from Paramount (and soon Warner Brothers (HBO)) properties to fund nefarious political donations to folks like the Israeli government's war in Gaza, and the Republican Party. Truth is - I can't get away from the bastards? They invented Peoplesoft and Oracle, both of which are embedded in my work place and I use daily. Actually I want to decimate them for creating Peoplesoft, alone.
OTOH - I could save the money. I have too many streaming subscriptions, and some are bundled with other things (such as Apple and Amazon). Well it makes boycotting Harry Potter easier. But I'd miss The Pitt. It's my favorite live action television drama.
***
I despise mergers. I wish they'd stop. I've been a merger victim and am now a merger refugee. They only make life good for the rich idiots who benefited from the stock options.
The health insurance merger - resulted in the upper management and share holders making enough money that they could do whatever they wanted. While various employees who got laid off - had to scramble to find new jobs, ended up struggling to pay COBRA, and the customers health insurance costs went up.
Although...I did hear that some of them were not smart with their financial earnings and had to struggle to find work to support themselves, with a lot of difficulty.
This below article which I decided I had to share with folks (for reasons that currently escape me), finally provided information on the settlement between Skydance Media and the 12 State Attorney Generals who sued them over the Paramount/Warner Merger, along with the UK who also protested the merger, and the WGA.(They had to make settlements with a lot of people for this to go through.)
"After months of twists and turns that included a bidding war with Netflix and a legal fight with 12 state attorneys general and the Writers' Guild of America, Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery officially closed their $110 billion merger on Tuesday.
The move creates an entertainment behemoth that will oversee multiple streaming services, including Paramount+, Pluto TV, HBO Max and Discovery+, and TV networks like CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, HBO and CNN. It will also oversee a vast library of IP, such as Harry Potter, the DC Universe, Game of Thrones, SpongeBob SquarePants and more." (Paramount is behind Star Trek, Yellowstone franchise, NCIS.) I guess it was only a matter of time, considering UPN (Paramount) and WB. (Warner) became CW in the early 00s.
Paramount/Warner Bros/Discovery 110 Billion Merger Closes (If they hadn't closed this week, it would have cost Skydance millions.)
"Paramount received clearance from Warner Bros. shareholders and regulators and governments representing 68 jurisdictions globally, including the U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Communications Commission, the European Commission and the United Kingdom's Competition and Markets Authority."
Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin also approved a settlement between Paramount and a dozen state attorneys general that includes commitments to invest $1.5 billion in domestic film and TV production over five years, release at least 30 films a year in theaters and negotiate the distribution agreements for each company's suite of cable networks separately.
The combined company also must set up an independent editorial board to oversee CNN and CBS News' operations and continue to operate Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery's studio lots for five years, among other things.
Failure to comply with the various commitments in the settlement range from a $30 million penalty per film that misses the theatrical goal to forced divestitures of the company's 49% Miramax stake within a 12-month period as well as BET, Comedy Central, VH1, Smithsonian, Destination America and Science Channel within a 120-day period.
Additionally, Paramount reached a separate resolution with the WGA, including a five-year layoff pause at CBS and a $17.5 million health fund contribution.
It also agreed to concessions in the U.K. and Europe, including terminating its stake in United International Pictures and commitments to not to combine linear channels with its streaming services, maintain the editorial independence of its news services and children's networks and provide more funding to Channel 5 to support high-quality news, original children's programming and drama. "
***
Alrighty then.
Now I'm trying to decide if it still makes sense to boycott Paramount + and Warner Brothers (HBO). Is this good news or bad news or neither? Inevitable at any rate.
I don't know if the Ellisons are actually using funds from Paramount (and soon Warner Brothers (HBO)) properties to fund nefarious political donations to folks like the Israeli government's war in Gaza, and the Republican Party. Truth is - I can't get away from the bastards? They invented Peoplesoft and Oracle, both of which are embedded in my work place and I use daily. Actually I want to decimate them for creating Peoplesoft, alone.
OTOH - I could save the money. I have too many streaming subscriptions, and some are bundled with other things (such as Apple and Amazon). Well it makes boycotting Harry Potter easier. But I'd miss The Pitt. It's my favorite live action television drama.
***
I despise mergers. I wish they'd stop. I've been a merger victim and am now a merger refugee. They only make life good for the rich idiots who benefited from the stock options.
The health insurance merger - resulted in the upper management and share holders making enough money that they could do whatever they wanted. While various employees who got laid off - had to scramble to find new jobs, ended up struggling to pay COBRA, and the customers health insurance costs went up.
Although...I did hear that some of them were not smart with their financial earnings and had to struggle to find work to support themselves, with a lot of difficulty.