Paramount Skydance Leads $74B Warner Bros Discovery Acquisition Talks

David Ellison, CEO of Paramount Skydance, is aggressively pursuing the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), positioning his company as the leading bidder despite multiple rejections from WBD's board. Ellison's strong financial backing from his father, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, and his close political ties to President Donald Trump are seen as key advantages, potentially easing regulatory challenges and discouraging rival bidders like Comcast, whose CEO Brian Roberts has been publicly criticized by Trump. The potential merger, valued at up to $74 billion according to Bank of America estimates, would unite major entertainment assets including HBO, Warner Bros. film studio, and streaming platforms HBO Max and Paramount+, representing a significant consolidation in Hollywood. Other potential suitors such as Apple, Netflix, and Comcast show limited appetite for a full acquisition, with some considering only partial purchases due to WBD's substantial $35 billion debt and challenges in its cable business. Ellison's strategy relies on not overpaying beyond $25 to $30 per share and leveraging political influence to outmaneuver competitors. If successful, the merger would create a dominant media conglomerate combining two of the industry's largest players under Ellison's expanding media empire.