Hollywood earthquake, Paramount Global plans to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, Warner Bros. stock price surges nearly 29%

Paramount Pictures, taken over by independent producer David Ellison in August this year, is preparing a takeover bid for competitor Warner Bros. Discovery. This deal would mark the largest consolidation in Hollywood since Disney's $71 billion acquisition of Fox's entertainment business in 2019.

On September 11, media reports indicated that Paramount has hired investment banks to prepare for the acquisition bid, but has not yet entered into formal negotiations with Warner Bros. This will be a full acquisition primarily in cash, with specific terms not yet provided.

The acquisition plan is backed by funding from the Ellison family. David Ellison's father, Larry Ellison, is the co-founder of Oracle Corporation, with a net worth of $383 billion, making him the second richest person in the world.

Following the news, the market reacted swiftly. Warner Bros. shares surged nearly 29%, while Paramount's shares rose over 15% to $17.46 after a brief decline.

Warner Bros. Split Plan Faces Obstacles

The success of the deal largely depends on the decision-making of Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav.

In June of this year, Warner Bros. announced plans to split the company into two, focusing separately on cable television and streaming with production studio operations.

Zaslav believes that by shedding the debt-laden cable networks, the value of its streaming and production assets will be fully realized.

To finalize the deal, Ellison's proposed offer must be sufficient to convince Zaslav that an immediate sale is more advantageous than waiting for the split.

Merger Prospects of Two IP Giants

If the deal goes through, it would represent the largest industry reshuffle in Hollywood since The Walt Disney Company acquired Fox's entertainment business for $71 billion in 2019, reducing the number of major traditional media production studios in the U.S. from five to four.

The merged company would own some of the most well-known film and television IP assets in the industry. Paramount owns the "Mission: Impossible" series, "The Godfather," and the popular TV series "Yellowstone."

Warner Bros.' library includes classics such as the "Harry Potter" series, "Batman," and "Casablanca," as well as HBO's "The Sopranos."

Additionally, this merger would consolidate the two companies' large production bases located in Southern California, further strengthening their physical advantages in content production.

Both companies own film and television production studios, cable channels, and streaming services, with Paramount owning CBS, MTV, and Paramount+, while Warner Bros. operates CNN, HBO, and HBO Max.

Industry Pressure Fuels Consolidation Wave

This potential acquisition is driven by the severe challenges facing the entire traditional media industry In recent years, with the rise of streaming platforms like Netflix and YouTube under Google, traditional media companies have been continuously losing paid television subscribers and advertisers, while cinema attendance has also been declining or stagnating.

To cope with the impact, major media companies, including Warner Bros., are undergoing business restructuring, placing paid streaming at the strategic core.

However, this transformation process is accompanied by immense pressure from investors, who demand that streaming businesses achieve profitability as soon as possible, leading major companies to cut content production budgets and lay off thousands of employees.

Additionally, strikes by Hollywood writers and actors over the past few years have resulted in production halts for months, further impacting the companies' recent financial performance.

Against the backdrop of overall industry pressure, seeking restructuring and divestiture has become a trend.

In addition to Warner Bros.'s plan to spin off, one of the largest cable and broadband providers in the U.S., Comcast, has also announced plans to divest its television networks, including MSNBC, USA, and CNBC.

Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and is expected to complete the spin-off of the aforementioned networks by the end of this year, with the new company to be named Versant Media Group.

This series of actions indicates that traditional media giants are actively adjusting their business structures, attempting to focus on core businesses by divesting slow-growing assets in order to seek survival and development in a fiercely competitive market