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Another Venerable LA Studio Could Be Lost To New Flurry Of Dealmaking
The Warner Bros. lot.
(
Valerie Macon
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AFP via Getty Images
)
Topline:
With Warner Bros. Discovery soon allowed to make deals again, the entertainment industry is bracing for another surge in merger and acquisitions activity — and what it might mean for the future.
Why it matters: Hollywood has, more or less, always had six major studios. Disney’s acquisition of Fox reduced that number to five (although Netflix could today be considered the sixth). But the two-year anniversary of the Discovery-WarnerMedia merger is upon us, and with it, the “no transaction” rule David Zaslav signed upon purchase is set to expire on April 11. That has inspired questions about whether Warner Bros. Discovery could be sold, or whether it would acquire a rival to compete against Netflix.
At the same time, Paramount might be in play; it has reportedly received a bid to be acquired by Apollo, the private-equity giant. WBD’s efforts to reduce debt from dealmaking led to cutbacks and cost controls. More may be on the way.
Endgame: The Ankler’s Chief Columnist Richard Rushfield predicts that we could be in for another epic chapter of the Streaming Wars (an endgame, perhaps?) and takes a look at what might happen not only for WBD and Paramount, but also Comcast-NBCUniversal and Disney and Apple.
For more . . . read the full story on The Ankler.
This story is published in partnership with The Ankler, a paid subscription publication about the entertainment industry.
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