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Dec 8 (Reuters) – Paramount Skydance on Monday launched a hostile bid worth $108.4 billion for Warner Bros Discovery

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By Jaspreet Singh, Juby Babu and Kritika Lamba Dec 5 (Reuters) – Paramount Skydance on Monday launched a hostile bid worth $108.4 billion for Warner Bros Discovery, challenging a rival offer from streaming pioneer Netflix. The streaming pioneer on Friday agreed to buy Warner Bros Discovery's iconic studio and streaming assets for $72 billion, a move that could reshape Hollywood by creating a vertically integrated media powerhouse. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he would have a say whether a proposed merger between Netflix and Warner Bros should go forward, fanning fears of tough scrutiny that the buyout could face. The media and entertainment industry is currently experiencing profound shifts, marked by intense competition and a transition to streaming amid a declining traditional linear television business. Here is a snapshot of how major media companies are performing in a tough industry: WARNER BROS DISCOVERY The media giant, which owns streaming service HBO Max, has a vast library of feature films, including franchises such as "Wonder Woman," "Harry Potter" and "Batman." Its studios include Warner Bros Motion Picture Group, DC Studios and Warner Bros Television Group. The company's total revenue for fiscal 2024 fell about 5% to $39.32 billion. The studios' revenue declined 5% to $11.61 billion. Warner Bros Pictures Animation began its journey with the iconic "Looney Tunes" in 1930 and has produced classics such as "The Iron Giant," "The Lego Movie" franchise and "Happy Feet." The company's direct-to-consumer unit, now named Streaming, includes the HBO Max and discovery+ streaming platforms and added 2.3 million net subscribers in the third quarter, reaching 128 million global subscribers, up 16% year over year. NETFLIX The streaming company's revenue rose about 16% to $39 billion last year. It had 301.6 million total subscribers in 2024. It primarily derives revenue from subscriptions and has also rolled out ad-supported plans. Major movies and series include "Stranger Things" and "KPop Demon Hunters". It added 589 new Netflix Originals in 2024, up nearly 4% from 2023. YOUTUBE Owned by Alphabet, YouTube said in March that it had over 125 million paying subscribers though those figures include users who are signed up for temporary free trials. Ads comprise the majority of YouTube's revenue, accounting for $36 billion of Alphabet's $350 billion in overall 2024 revenue. For the third quarter of 2025, the video streaming service posted advertising revenue of $10.26 billion. YouTube TV has seen rapid growth as a pay-TV platform and is the fourth-largest pay-TV provider in the U.S. with about 10 million subscribers. WALT DISNEY Walt Disney and brother Roy Disney founded "Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio" after signing a contract with distributor M.J. Winkler for "Alice Comedies" in October 1923. The studio was renamed Walt Disney Studios in 1926. Its portfolio also includes Pixar Animation Studios, Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios, Searchlight Pictures and 20th Century Studios. The company's total revenue rose 3% to $91.36 billion last year. Disney ended the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025 with 196 million Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions, an increase of 12.4 million from the year-ago period. Disney is home to popular film franchises such as "Avengers," "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Star Wars". It is also home to the ABC network. Cumulatively through September 28, 2024, the company had released about 1,100 full-length live-action films and 100 full-length animated films. Disney closed its $71 billion acquisition of Twenty-First Century Fox Inc's film and television assets in 2019, expanding its portfolio of some of the world's most popular characters, uniting Mickey Mouse, Luke Skywalker and Marvel superheroes with Fox's X-Men, "Avatar" and "The Simpsons" franchises.   PARAMOUNT GLOBAL Before its merger with Skydance Media, Paramount's total revenue fell 1% to $29.21 billion last year. Its TV Media segment revenue, which makes up the bulk of its sales, fell 7% to $18.78 billion, hurt by declines in linear advertising and fewer major sporting events on CBS. By contrast, the direct-to-consumer division, which includes Paramount+ and Pluto TV, surged 13% to $7.63 billion, driven by subscriber growth and price increases. Founded in 1912, the studio's library consists of more than 1,200 film titles including "Star Trek," "The Godfather" and "Mission: Impossible," with rights to an additional 2,800. Paramount is the parent of CBS and agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump against the network over a "60 Minutes" interview. In the third quarter of 2025, Paramount+ added 1.4 million subscribers, bringing its total to 79.1 million worldwide.  The company also narrowed its streaming losses, signaling progress toward its goal of achieving domestic profitability in 2025. Paramount Pictures, considered the jewel of Paramount Global, has attracted many suitors over the years.   COMCAST Total revenue for Comcast, which owns NBCUniversal, rose 1.8% to $123.73 billion for fiscal 2024. Peacock streaming service generated revenue of $4.9 billion last year and as of the third quarter of 2025, Peacock had 41 million total paid subscribers. Universal Pictures, founded in 1912, has created classics such as "Jurassic Park," "Fast and Furious," "Minions," "Jaws" and "E.T. the Extraterrestrial". Its film library consists of more than 6,500 titles, according to its annual report. Comcast is in the process of spinning off its NBCUniversal cable channels, including USA Network and CNBC, into a new company called Versant early next year. AMAZON Amazon.com, best known for its e-commerce business, has built a significant presence in streaming through Prime Video, a service included with its Prime membership that produces a wide range of original programming, from hit series like "The Boys" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" to big-budget films, and also rents and sells movies and TV shows to both members and non-members.  In 2022, Amazon deepened its entertainment push by acquiring MGM for $8.5 billion, adding thousands of films and TV episodes, including the "James Bond" franchise, to its library. (Reporting by Jaspreet Singh, Kritika Lamba in Bengaluru and Juby Babu in Mexico City; Editing by Alan Barona)

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LONDON, Dec 8 (Reuters) – British rapper Ghetts on Monday pleaded guilty to causing the death of a Nepali student in a hit-and-run while driving dangerously. The award-winning artist, whose real name is Justin Clarke-Samuel, appeared at London's Old Bailey court by videolink from Pentonville prison and admitted causing the death of 20-year-old Yubin Tamang on October 18. Clarke-Samuel, 41, also pleaded guilty to an additional charge of driving his BMW M5 dangerously in London before the fatal incident. He will be sentenced in February. Ghetts was nominated for the 2024 Mercury Prize for his fourth studio album "On Purpose, with Purpose" and won best male act at Britain's MOBO Awards in 2021. The rapper has collaborated with high-profile artists including Ed Sheeran. (Reporting by Sam Tobin; editing by William James)

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By Danielle Broadway LOS ANGELES, Dec 8 (Reuters) – Nominations for the 2026 Golden Globe awards for film and television were announced on Monday for a ceremony that will take place on Jan. 11.  FILM     BEST DRAMA   "Frankenstein" "Hamnet”  “It Was Just an Accident" "The Secret Agent"  "Sentimental Value"  "Sinners" BEST COMEDY OR MUSICAL   "Blue Moon"  "Bugonia" "Marty Supreme" "No Other Choice" "Nouvelle Vague" "One Battle After Another" BEST MALE ACTOR, DRAMA   Joel Edgerton, "Train Dreams"  Jeremy Allen White, "Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere" Oscar Isaac, "Frankenstein" Dwayne Johnson, "The Smashing Machine"  Michael B. Jordan, "Sinners" Wagner Moura, "The Secret Agent" BEST FEMALE ACTOR, DRAMA   Jessie Buckley, "Hamnet" Jennifer Lawrence, "Die My Love" Renate Reinsve, "Sentimental Value" Julia Roberts, "After The Hunt" Tessa Thompson, Hedda" Eva Victor, "Sorry, Baby" BEST MALE ACTOR, COMEDY OR MUSICAL   Timothée Chalamet, "Marty Supreme"  Ethan Hawke, "Blue Moon" Lee Byung-Hun, No Other Choice" George Clooney, "Jay Kelly" Leonardo DiCaprio, "One Battle After Another" Jesse Plemons, "Bugonia" BEST FEMALE ACTOR, COMEDY OR MUSICAL   Rose Byrne, "If I Had Legs I’d Kick You"  Cynthia Erivo, "Wicked: For Good"  Kate Hudson, "Song Sung Blue" Chase Infiniti, "One Battle After Another"  Amanda Seyfried, "The Testament of Ann Lee"  Emma Stone, "Bugonia"  BEST MALE SUPPORTING ACTOR   Benicio Del Toro, "One Battle After Another" Jacob Elordi, "Frankenstein" Paul Mescal, "Hamnet" Sean Penn, "One Battle After Another" Adam Sandler, "Jay Kelly" Stellan Skarsgard, "Sentimental Value" BEST FEMALE SUPPORTING ACTOR   Emily Blunt, "The Smashing Machine" Elle Fanning, "Sentimental Value" Ariana Grande, "Wicked: For Good" Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, "Sentimental Value" Amy Madigan, "Weapons" Teyana Taylor, "One Battle After Another" BEST DIRECTOR   Paul Thomas Anderson, "One Battle After Another" Guillermo Del Toro, "Frankenstein" Ryan Coogler, "Sinners" Joachim Trier, "Sentimental Value" Chloé Zhao, "Hamnet" Clint Bentley, "Train Dreams" Jafar Panahi, "It Was Just An Accident" BEST ANIMATED FILM   "Arco"  "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle" "Elio" "KPop Demon Hunters" "Little Amélie or the Character of Rain”  “Zootopia 2” BEST NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE FILM   "It Was Just an Accident" "No Other Choice"  "The Secret Agent"  "Sentimental Value"  "The Voice of Hind Rajab"  "Sirāt" BEST SCREENPLAY   Paul Thomas Anderson, "One Battle After Another" Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie, "Marty Supreme" Ryan Coogler, "Sinners" Maggie O’Farrell and Chloé Zhao, "Hamnet" Jafar Panahi, "It Was Just an Accident" Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt, "Sentimental Value" BEST ORIGINAL SCORE   Alexandre Desplat, "Frankenstein" Ludwig Göransson, "Sinners" Jonny Greenwood, "One Battle After Another" Max Richter, "Hamnet" Hans Zimmer, "F1: The Movie" BEST ORIGINAL SONG   "Avatar: Fire and Ash," "Dream as One" "KPop Demon Hunters," "Golden"  Sinners, "I Lied to You" "Wicked: For Good," "No Place Like Home" "Wicked: For Good," "The Girl in the Bubble" “Train Dreams,” "Train Dreams" CINEMATIC AND BOX OFFICE ACHIEVEMENT   "Avatar: Fire and Ash"  "F1"  "KPop Demon Hunters"  "Sinners"  "Weapons"  "Wicked: For Good" "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning" "Zootopia 2" TELEVISION   BEST DRAMA SERIES  "The Diplomat" "The Pitt" "Pluribus"  "Severance" "Slow Horses" "The White Lotus" BEST COMEDY/MUSICAL SERIES   "Abbott Elementary" "Hacks" "Nobody Wants This" "The Studio" "Only Murders in the Building" BEST MALE ACTOR, DRAMA   Sterling K. Brown, "Paradise" Diego Luna, "Andor" Gary Oldman, "Slow Horses" Mark Ruffalo, "Task" Adam Scott, "Severance" Noah Wyle, "The Pitt" BEST FEMALE ACTOR, DRAMA   Kathy Bates, "Matlock" Britt Lower, "Severance"  Helen Mirren, "1923" Bella Ramsey, "The Last of Us"  Keri Russell, "The Diplomat" Rhea Seehorn, "Pluribus" BEST MALE SUPPORTING ACTOR   Owen Cooper, "Adolescence" Ashley Walters, "Adolescence" Billy Crudup, "The Morning Show" Walton Goggins, "The White Lotus" Jason Isaacs, "The White Lotus" Tramell Tillman, "Severance" BEST FEMALE SUPPORTING ACTOR   Carrie Coon, "The White Lotus" Erin Doherty, "Adolescence" Hannah Einbinder, "Hacks" Catherine O’Hara, "The Studio" Parker Posey, "The White Lotus" Aimee Lou Wood, "The White Lotus" BEST MALE ACTOR, COMEDY/MUSICAL  Adam Brody, "Nobody Wants This" Steve Martin, "Only Murders in the Building" Glen Powell, "Chad Powers" Seth Rogen, "The Studio" Martin Short, "Only Murders in the Building" Jeremy Allen White, "The Bear" BEST FEMALE ACTOR, COMEDY/MUSICAL Kristen Bell, "Nobody Wants This" Ayo Edebiri, "The Bear" Selena Gomez, "Only Murders in the Building" Jenna Ortega, "Wednesday" Jean Smart, "Hacks" Natasha Lyonne, "Poker Face" BEST LIMITED SERIES, ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION  "Adolescence" "All Her Fault" "The Beast in Me" "Black Mirror" "Dying for Sex" "The Girlfriend" BEST PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR, LIMITED SERIES, ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION   Jacob Elordi, "The Narrow Road to the Deep North" Paul Giamatti, "Black Mirror" Stephen Graham, "Adolescence" Charlie Hunnam, "Monster: The Ed Gein Story" Jude Law, "Black Rabbit" Matthew Rhys, "The Beast in Me" BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR, LIMITED SERIES, ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION   Claire Danes, "The Beast in Me" Rashida Jones, "Black Mirror" Amanda Seyfried, "Long Bright River" Sarah Snook, "All Her Fault" Michelle Williams, "Dying for Sex" Robin Wright, "The Girlfriend" BEST PERFORMANCE IN STAND-UP COMEDY ON TELEVISION   "Bill Maher: Is Anyone Else Seeing This?" "Brett Goldstein: The Second Best Night Of Your Life" "Kevin Hart: Acting My Age" "Kumail Nanjiani: Night Thoughts" "Ricky Gervais: Mortality" "Sarah Silverman: Postmortem" PODCAST OF THE YEAR "Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard" "Call Her Daddy" "Good Hang With Amy Poehler" "The Mel Robbins Podcast" "Smartless" "Up First" (Reporting by Danielle Broadway)

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By Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES, Dec 8 (Reuters) – Dark comedy "One Battle After Another," starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a washed-up revolutionary, topped the list of films nominated on Monday for Hollywood's Golden Globe awards with nine nods.    Norwegian family drama "Sentimental Value" claimed eight nominations followed by supernatural horror film "Sinners" with seven. "One Battle After Another," seen as a strong contender for best picture at the next Academy Awards, will compete at the Globes for best movie musical or comedy against "Marty Supreme," "Bugonia" and others. In the best movie drama field, "Sinners" and "Sentimental Value" will face off with Guillermo del Toro's take on "Frankenstein" and "Hamnet," a story about the family of William Shakespeare. Acting nominees included DiCaprio, Dwayne Johnson for "The Smashing Machine" and Jessie Buckley for "Hamnet." In a new podcast category, Globes voters nominated "Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard," "Call Her Daddy," "Good Hang with Amy Poehler," "The Mel Robbins Podcast," "Smartless" and National Public Radio's "Up First." Winners will be chosen by more than 300 entertainment journalists from around the world and announced at a Jan. 11 ceremony in Beverly Hills. Comedian Nikki Glaser will return to host the Globes ceremony for a second time. The show will be broadcast live on CBS and streamed on Paramount+. (Reporting by Lisa RichwineEditing by Bernadette Baum and Nick Zieminski)

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Dec 8 (Reuters) – Netflix's $72 billion Warner Bros deal led to several price target cuts by Wall Street analysts as U.S. President Donald Trump warned of market-share concerns, underscoring the tough scrutiny that the acquisition is likely to face. The deal that combines the world's largest streaming service with HBO Max and a major Hollywood studio has also drawn criticism from bipartisan lawmakers and unions on concerns it could lead to job cuts and higher prices for consumers. Trump warned on Sunday while speaking at the Kennedy Center that the combined group's enlarged market share "could be a problem" and that he will be involved in the decision. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett told CNBC on Monday that the U.S. Justice Department would examine the deal's impact for "quite a while." Netflix has agreed to a $5.8 billion termination fee if it cannot obtain regulatory approval, in a sign of confidence of a greenlight. To ease concerns of market concentration, it is likely to argue that the market for online video also includes YouTube and TikTok – two of the most popular platforms with hundreds of millions of users. "Antitrust opposition stalls consummation of the deal for a couple of years, and raises at least an element of risk about completion," said Rosenblatt analyst Barton Crockett. Hollywood unions have voiced concerns about increased market concentration, reduced film output and the potential for higher consumer costs. Rival bidder Paramount Skydance has said the deal process was biased, raising chances of a higher bid or a hostile takeover. The political dynamics may be further complicated by Warner Bros Discovery's rejection of Paramount Skydance, a studio with Trump connections, in favor of Netflix, analysts said. At least three brokerages cut their price targets for Netflix, with consensus median price target now at $139, according to data compiled by LSEG. (Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur)

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Dec 8 (Reuters) – Paramount Skydance on Monday launched a $108.4 billion deal for Warner Bros Discovery, throwing a wrench into the $72 billion deal with Netflix in a last-ditch effort to create a media powerhouse that would challenge the dominance of the streaming giant. (Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese and Aditya Soni in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur)

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LOS ANGELES, Dec 8 (Reuters) – Dark comedy "One Battle After Another," starring Leonardo DiCaprio, topped the list of film nominees on Monday for Hollywood's Golden Globe awards, receiving nine nods. Norwegian family drama "Sentimental Value" claimed eight nominations. Acting nominees included DiCaprio for his role as a washed-up revolutionary in "One Battle After Another," Dwayne Johnson for "The Smashing Machine" and Jessie Buckley for "Hamnet." Winners will be chosen by entertainment journalists from around the world and announced at a Jan. 11 ceremony in Beverly Hills. (Reporting by Lisa RichwineEditing by Bernadette Baum and Nick Zieminski)

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Dec 8 (Reuters) – Netflix's $72 billion Warner Bros deal led to several price target cuts by Wall Street analysts as U.S. President Donald Trump warned of market-share concerns, underscoring the tough scrutiny that the acquisition is likely to face. The deal that combines the world's largest streaming service with HBO Max and a major Hollywood studio has also drawn criticism from bipartisan lawmakers and unions on concerns it could lead to job cuts and higher prices for consumers. Trump warned on Sunday while speaking at the Kennedy Center that the combined group's enlarged market share "could be a problem" and that he will be involved in the decision. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett told CNBC on Monday that the U.S. Justice Department would examine the deal's impact for "quite a while." Netflix has agreed to a $5.8 billion termination fee if it cannot obtain regulatory approval, in a sign of confidence of a greenlight. To ease concerns of market concentration, it is likely to argue that the market for online video also includes YouTube and TikTok – two of the most popular platforms with hundreds of millions of users. "Antitrust opposition stalls consummation of the deal for a couple of years, and raises at least an element of risk about completion," said Rosenblatt analyst Barton Crockett. Hollywood unions have voiced concerns about increased market concentration, reduced film output and the potential for higher consumer costs. Rival bidder Paramount Skydance has said the deal process was biased, raising chances of a higher bid or a hostile takeover. The political dynamics may be further complicated by Warner Bros Discovery's rejection of Paramount Skydance, a studio with Trump connections, in favor of Netflix, analysts said. At least three brokerages cut their price targets for Netflix, with consensus median price target now at $139, according to data compiled by LSEG. (Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

Dec 8 (Reuters) – Netflix's $72 billion Warner Bros deal led to several price target cuts by Wall Street analysts as U.S. President Donald Trump warned of market-share concerns, underscoring the tough scrutiny that the acquisition is likely to face. The deal that combines the world's largest streaming service with HBO Max and a major Hollywood studio has also drawn criticism from bipartisan lawmakers and unions on concerns it could lead to job cuts and higher prices for consumers. Trump warned on Sunday while speaking at the Kennedy Center that the combined group's enlarged market share "could be a problem" and that he will be involved in the decision. Netflix has agreed to a $5.8 billion termination fee if it cannot obtain regulatory approval, in a sign of confidence of a greenlight. To ease concerns of market concentration, it is likely to argue that the market for online video also includes YouTube and TikTok – two of the most popular platforms with hundreds of millions of users. "Antitrust opposition stalls consummation of the deal for a couple of years, and raises at least an element of risk about completion," said Rosenblatt analyst Barton Crockett. Hollywood unions have voiced concerns about increased market concentration, reduced film output and the potential for higher consumer costs. Rival bidder Paramount Skydance has said the deal process was biased, raising chances of a higher bid or a hostile takeover. The political dynamics may be further complicated by Warner Bros Discovery's rejection of Paramount Skydance, a studio with Trump connections, in favor of Netflix, analysts said. At least three brokerages cut their price targets for Netflix, with consensus median price target now at $139, according to data compiled by LSEG. (Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur)

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