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Jan 22 (Reuters) – Paramount Skydance extended its hostile tender offer deadline for Warner Bros Discovery to February 20, as it seeks more time to convince investors about the superiority of its bid over a competing deal with Netflix. The move marks the latest chapter in the race for assets that include Warner Bros' iconic film and TV studio and its vast library of movies and television shows. Here is a timeline from the founding of Time Inc and Warner Bros to the company's latest breakup and potential sale. Date Event 1922 Time Inc was founded by Henry Luce and Briton Hadden to house Time magazine, a weekly news publication that made world affairs accessible to the average reader. The first issue of Time magazine was published in March 1923. 1923 Warner Bros was founded by brothers Harry, Albert, Sam and Jack Warner as a film studio in Hollywood. It revolutionized cinema with the introduction of synchronized sound in films. 1969  Kinney National Company, a conglomerate that later transitioned into media, buys Warner Bros-Seven Arts and later spins off its non-media businesses. 1972 HBO is founded by Charles Dolan with backing from Time. It was the first U.S. subscription-based cable network, offering uncut, commercial-free movies and live sports, pioneering premium cable television. 1990 Time Inc merges with Warner Communications in a $14 billion deal, hailed as a "marriage of content and distribution," creating Time Warner, then the largest media company in the world. 1996  Time Warner merges with Turner Broadcasting, gaining Cartoon Network, CNN, TNT and a vast classic film library. 2000  Time Warner merges with AOL, forming AOL Time Warner, the largest merger in history at the time, aiming to merge traditional and digital media. 2002 AOL Time Warner merger begins to unravel as AOL's value collapses with the launch of an SEC investigation, prompted by allegations of accounting irregularities and inflated revenue reports at AOL. 2003 CEO Steve Case resigns from AOL Time Warner. 2004 Time Warner sells Warner Music to a private equity group led by Edgar Bronfman Jr. for $2.6 billion. 2009 Time Warner fully spins off Time Warner Cable, which had already been partially separated in 2007, ending its role in cable distribution.  2009  Time Warner spins off AOL.  2013 Time Warner spins off Time, its magazine division, which includes Time, People, Fortune and Sports Illustrated, marking its formal exit from publishing. 2016 AT&T announces acquisition of Time Warner for $85 billion. 2018 AT&T completes its acquisition of Time Warner after regulator's approval, renaming it WarnerMedia. 2021 AT&T announces it would spin off WarnerMedia and merge it with Discovery Inc to create a new standalone media company. 2022 WarnerMedia and Discovery complete their merger in a $43 billion deal. June 2025 Warner Bros Discovery announces it would separate into two companies — one focusing on streaming and studios businesses, while the second will house its cable TV assets. October 2025 Warner Bros Discovery's board rejects a Paramount Skydance offer of nearly $60 billion, or $24 per share, a source familiar with the matter exclusively tells Reuters. The company says it is weighing a potential sale amid interest from several suitors. November Axios reports that Warner Bros Discovery's 2025 board wants Paramount Skydance to sweeten its bid to $30 per share, valuing the company at $74.34 billion. November Warner Bros Discovery receives preliminary 2025 buyout bids from Paramount Skydance, Comcast and Netflix — who were asked to improve their offers.  December Warner Bros Discovery receives a second 2025 round of bids, including a mostly cash offer from Netflix. December Paramount Skydance accuses Warner Bros 2025 Discovery of running an unfair sale process that favors Netflix over other bidders, CNBC reports, citing a letter sent by the newly merged media company. December Netflix is in exclusive talks to 2025 buy Warner Bros Discovery's film and television studios along with its streaming assets after offering $28 per share. December Netflix agrees to buy Warner Bros 2025 Discovery's film and TV studios and streaming division for $72 billion, or $27.75 per share. December Paramount Skydance makes a hostile bid for 2025 Warner Bros Discovery in a deal valued at $108.4 billion or $30 per share. December Warner Bros Discovery's board rejects 2025 Paramount Skydance's hostile $108.4 billion bid, saying it failed to provide adequate financing assurances. December Paramount Skydance amends its offer to buy 2025 Warner Bros Discovery to include a $40.4 billion personal guarantee from Larry Ellison. January 2026 Warner Bros Discovery rejects Paramount Skydance's amended hostile bid despite Larry Ellison's guarantee. January 2026 Paramount Skydance files lawsuit to force Warner Bros Discovery to disclose details of its deal with Netflix and plans to nominate directors to Warner Bros Discovery's board. January 2026 Netflix amends its bid to an all‑cash offer for Warner Bros Discovery's studio and streaming units and secures unanimous approval from the Warner Bros board without increasing the $82.7 billion purchase price. Paramount Skydance January 2026 extends its hostile tender offer for Warner Bros Discovery to February 20, seeking more time to win investors. (Reporting by Kritika Lamba, Meghana Khare, Anhata Rooprai, and Arnav Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo, Arun Koyyur and Shinjini Ganguli)

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Jan 22 (Reuters) – Paramount Skydance extended its hostile tender offer deadline for Warner Bros Discovery to February 20, as it seeks more time to convince investors about the superiority of its bid over a competing deal with Netflix. The move marks the latest chapter in the race for assets that include Warner Bros' iconic film and TV studio and its vast library of movies and television shows. Here is a timeline from the founding of Time Inc and Warner Bros to the company's latest breakup and potential sale. Date Event 1922 Time Inc was founded by Henry Luce and Briton Hadden to house Time magazine, a weekly news publication that made world affairs accessible to the average reader. The first issue of Time magazine was published in March 1923. 1923 Warner Bros was founded by brothers Harry, Albert, Sam and Jack Warner as a film studio in Hollywood. It revolutionized cinema with the introduction of synchronized sound in films. 1969  Kinney National Company, a conglomerate that later transitioned into media, buys Warner Bros-Seven Arts and later spins off its non-media businesses. 1972 HBO is founded by Charles Dolan with backing from Time. It was the first U.S. subscription-based cable network, offering uncut, commercial-free movies and live sports, pioneering premium cable television. 1990 Time Inc merges with Warner Communications in a $14 billion deal, hailed as a "marriage of content and distribution," creating Time Warner, then the largest media company in the world. 1996  Time Warner merges with Turner Broadcasting, gaining Cartoon Network, CNN, TNT and a vast classic film library. 2000  Time Warner merges with AOL, forming AOL Time Warner, the largest merger in history at the time, aiming to merge traditional and digital media. 2002 AOL Time Warner merger begins to unravel as AOL's value collapses with the launch of an SEC investigation, prompted by allegations of accounting irregularities and inflated revenue reports at AOL. 2003 CEO Steve Case resigns from AOL Time Warner. 2004 Time Warner sells Warner Music to a private equity group led by Edgar Bronfman Jr. for $2.6 billion. 2009 Time Warner fully spins off Time Warner Cable, which had already been partially separated in 2007, ending its role in cable distribution.  2009  Time Warner spins off AOL.  2013 Time Warner spins off Time, its magazine division, which includes Time, People, Fortune and Sports Illustrated, marking its formal exit from publishing. 2016 AT&T announces acquisition of Time Warner for $85 billion. 2018 AT&T completes its acquisition of Time Warner after regulator's approval, renaming it WarnerMedia. 2021 AT&T announces it would spin off WarnerMedia and merge it with Discovery Inc to create a new standalone media company. 2022 WarnerMedia and Discovery complete their merger in a $43 billion deal. June 2025 Warner Bros Discovery announces it would separate into two companies — one focusing on streaming and studios businesses, while the second will house its cable TV assets. October 2025 Warner Bros Discovery's board rejects a Paramount Skydance offer of nearly $60 billion, or $24 per share, a source familiar with the matter exclusively tells Reuters. The company says it is weighing a potential sale amid interest from several suitors. November Axios reports that Warner Bros Discovery's 2025 board wants Paramount Skydance to sweeten its bid to $30 per share, valuing the company at $74.34 billion. November Warner Bros Discovery receives preliminary 2025 buyout bids from Paramount Skydance, Comcast and Netflix — who were asked to improve their offers.  December Warner Bros Discovery receives a second 2025 round of bids, including a mostly cash offer from Netflix. December Paramount Skydance accuses Warner Bros 2025 Discovery of running an unfair sale process that favors Netflix over other bidders, CNBC reports, citing a letter sent by the newly merged media company. December Netflix is in exclusive talks to 2025 buy Warner Bros Discovery's film and television studios along with its streaming assets after offering $28 per share. December Netflix agrees to buy Warner Bros 2025 Discovery's film and TV studios and streaming division for $72 billion, or $27.75 per share. December Paramount Skydance makes a hostile bid for 2025 Warner Bros Discovery in a deal valued at $108.4 billion or $30 per share. December Warner Bros Discovery's board rejects 2025 Paramount Skydance's hostile $108.4 billion bid, saying it failed to provide adequate financing assurances. December Paramount Skydance amends its offer to buy 2025 Warner Bros Discovery to include a $40.4 billion personal guarantee from Larry Ellison. January 2026 Warner Bros Discovery rejects Paramount Skydance's amended hostile bid despite Larry Ellison's guarantee. January 2026 Paramount Skydance files lawsuit to force Warner Bros Discovery to disclose details of its deal with Netflix and plans to nominate directors to Warner Bros Discovery's board. January 2026 Netflix amends its bid to an all‑cash offer for Warner Bros Discovery's studio and streaming units and secures unanimous approval from the Warner Bros board without increasing the $82.7 billion purchase price. Paramount Skydance January 2026 extends its hostile tender offer for Warner Bros Discovery to February 20, seeking more time to win investors. (Reporting by Kritika Lamba, Meghana Khare, Anhata Rooprai, and Arnav Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo, Arun Koyyur and Shinjini Ganguli)

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Jan 22 (Reuters) – Paramount Skydance on Thursday extended the deadline on its hostile tender offer for Warner Bros Discovery to February 20, giving it more time to persuade investors that its bid for the Hollywood studio trumps a rival deal with Netflix. With DC Comics, iconic franchises from "Friends" to "Batman" and the HBO Max streaming service at stake, a successful deal would change the power dynamics of Hollywood and could help power growth at its suitor for years to come. Netflix on Tuesday revised its $82.7 billion offer to go all-cash in hopes of expediting the deal closure and providing greater financial certainty to investors worried about its previously stock-and-cash deal. It is now paying all the $27.75 a share bid in cash for the streaming and studio assets of the David Zaslav-led company, an offer that was unanimously approved by the Warner Bros board. Paramount has launched a charm offensive and sued Warner Bros to bring the HBO owner to the negotiation table. But Warner Bros has suggested that Paramount needs to raise its $108.4 billion, or $30-per-share, offer for the whole company to restart deal talks. Warner Bros' board earlier this month rejected an amended Paramount bid that included a $40 billion in equity personally guaranteed by Oracle's co-founder and Paramount CEO David Ellison's father, Larry Ellison. The deadline for Paramount's offer was originally January 21. The race is expected to come to a head at a shareholder vote expected to be held by April as Warner investors weigh the value of cable assets that Paramount argues are worthless. Warner Bros has said that its advisers used three separate approaches for valuing Discovery Global – the spinoff company that would include the cable assets. The lowest share price they arrived at was $1.33 per share, by applying a single value across the whole company. The high end of the range was a price of $6.86 a share, if the spinoff became involved in a future deal. Paramount has repeatedly said that its offer is superior to Netflix's deal and has a clearer path towards regulatory approval. The Ellisons have argued their relationship with President Donald Trump gives them an easier regulatory path to approval. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said on a post-earnings call on Tuesday that the company has made progress towards securing the necessary regulatory approvals.  Netflix expects the addition of HBO Max would allow it to offer more personalized and flexible subscription options to better meet the needs of its diverse global audience. It also sees the theatrical business as a new revenue stream. But some analysts argue the deal would create near-term uncertainty around integration costs, content spending and the large debt load of the combined company. (Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona)

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Jan 22 (Reuters) – Paramount Skydance on Thursday extended the deadline on its hostile tender offer for Warner Bros Discovery to February 20, giving it more time to persuade investors that its bid for the Hollywood studio trumps a rival deal with Netflix. With DC Comics, iconic franchises from "Friends" to "Batman" and the HBO Max streaming service at stake, a successful deal would change the power dynamics of Hollywood and could help power growth at its suitor for years to come. Netflix on Tuesday revised its $82.7 billion offer to go all-cash in hopes of expediting the deal closure and providing greater financial certainty to investors worried about its previously stock-and-cash deal. It is now paying all the $27.75 a share bid in cash for the streaming and studio assets of the David Zaslav-led company, an offer that was unanimously approved by the Warner Bros board. Paramount has launched a charm offensive and sued Warner Bros to bring the HBO owner to the negotiation table. But Warner Bros has suggested that Paramount needs to raise its $108.4 billion, or $30-per-share, offer for the whole company to restart deal talks. Warner Bros' board earlier this month rejected an amended Paramount bid that included a $40 billion in equity personally guaranteed by Oracle's co-founder and Paramount CEO David Ellison's father, Larry Ellison. The deadline for Paramount's offer was originally January 21. The race is expected to come to a head at a shareholder vote expected to be held by April as Warner investors weigh the value of cable assets that Paramount argues are worthless. Warner Bros has said that its advisers used three separate approaches for valuing Discovery Global – the spinoff company that would include the cable assets. The lowest share price they arrived at was $1.33 per share, by applying a single value across the whole company. The high end of the range was a price of $6.86 a share, if the spinoff became involved in a future deal. Paramount has repeatedly said that its offer is superior to Netflix's deal and has a clearer path towards regulatory approval. The Ellisons have argued their relationship with President Donald Trump gives them an easier regulatory path to approval. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said on a post-earnings call on Tuesday that the company has made progress towards securing the necessary regulatory approvals.  Netflix expects the addition of HBO Max would allow it to offer more personalized and flexible subscription options to better meet the needs of its diverse global audience. It also sees the theatrical business as a new revenue stream. But some analysts argue the deal would create near-term uncertainty around integration costs, content spending and the large debt load of the combined company. (Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona)

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NEW YORK, Jan 22 (Reuters) – A federal judge will consider on Thursday actor Justin Baldoni's bid to dismiss actor Blake Lively's lawsuit accusing him of sexual harassment and waging a smear campaign in connection with their 2024 movie "It Ends With Us." Both sides are expected to make arguments at a hearing before U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman in Manhattan, after waging an acrimonious battle for more than a year that has transfixed Hollywood and involved names including Lively's husband Ryan Reynolds and longtime friend Taylor Swift. Lively, 38, accused Baldoni – who directed the movie – and his Wayfarer Studios of coordinating a scheme to silence her and others from speaking out about the hostile environment they allegedly created on the film's set. Thousands of pages of documents made public this week included Lively's claim that Baldoni, 41, pressured her unnecessarily to simulate nudity during a film scene where her character gave birth in a hospital. Also released this week were text messages between Lively and Swift, including a December 5, 2024, text message where the superstar singer likened Lively's and Baldoni's relationship to "a horror film no one knows is taking place." Lively is seeking unspecified damages for alleged harassment, invasion of privacy and violations of federal and state civil rights laws. A trial is scheduled for May 18. Lawyers for Lively and Baldoni were not immediately available for comment. BALDONI HAS SAID HE ADDRESSED LIVELY'S CONCERNS In seeking a dismissal, lawyers for Baldoni said he resolved Lively's concerns about sporadic misunderstandings and "awkward comments" on the film set, including over her physical appearance, as soon as she raised them. They also said Baldoni had a right to hire a crisis management firm to defend his reputation after Lively began disparaging him publicly. Lively's lawyers countered that the dispute concerned more than merely "minor annoyances fueled by creative differences." They said a jury should consider the alleged "toxic environment" where Baldoni and Wayfarer ignored numerous women's claims of being sexualized and marginalized, and then pursued a strategy of "deny" and "attack."  The dispute burst into public view in mid-December 2024 when Lively filed a complaint against Baldoni with the California Civil Rights Department, followed by her lawsuit, and a New York Times article titled: "'We Can Bury Anyone': Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine." Baldoni filed a $400 million countersuit accusing Lively and Reynolds of trying to destroy his reputation, but Liman dismissed that case last June.  The judge also dismissed Baldoni's related $250 million defamation case against the Times. "It Ends With Us" generated mixed reviews but grossed more than $351 million worldwide according to Box Office Mojo. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York, editing by Deepa Babington)

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NEW YORK, Jan 22 (Reuters) – A federal judge will consider on Thursday actor Justin Baldoni's bid to dismiss actor Blake Lively's lawsuit accusing him of sexual harassment and waging a smear campaign in connection with their 2024 movie "It Ends With Us." Both sides are expected to make arguments at a hearing before U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman in Manhattan, after waging an acrimonious battle for more than a year that has transfixed Hollywood and involved names including Lively's husband Ryan Reynolds and longtime friend Taylor Swift. Lively, 38, accused Baldoni – who directed the movie – and his Wayfarer Studios of coordinating a scheme to silence her and others from speaking out about the hostile environment they allegedly created on the film's set. Thousands of pages of documents made public this week included Lively's claim that Baldoni, 41, pressured her unnecessarily to simulate nudity during a film scene where her character gave birth in a hospital. Also released this week were text messages between Lively and Swift, including a December 5, 2024, text message where the superstar singer likened Lively's and Baldoni's relationship to "a horror film no one knows is taking place." Lively is seeking unspecified damages for alleged harassment, invasion of privacy and violations of federal and state civil rights laws. A trial is scheduled for May 18. Lawyers for Lively and Baldoni were not immediately available for comment. BALDONI HAS SAID HE ADDRESSED LIVELY'S CONCERNS In seeking a dismissal, lawyers for Baldoni said he resolved Lively's concerns about sporadic misunderstandings and "awkward comments" on the film set, including over her physical appearance, as soon as she raised them. They also said Baldoni had a right to hire a crisis management firm to defend his reputation after Lively began disparaging him publicly. Lively's lawyers countered that the dispute concerned more than merely "minor annoyances fueled by creative differences." They said a jury should consider the alleged "toxic environment" where Baldoni and Wayfarer ignored numerous women's claims of being sexualized and marginalized, and then pursued a strategy of "deny" and "attack."  The dispute burst into public view in mid-December 2024 when Lively filed a complaint against Baldoni with the California Civil Rights Department, followed by her lawsuit, and a New York Times article titled: "'We Can Bury Anyone': Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine." Baldoni filed a $400 million countersuit accusing Lively and Reynolds of trying to destroy his reputation, but Liman dismissed that case last June.  The judge also dismissed Baldoni's related $250 million defamation case against the Times. "It Ends With Us" generated mixed reviews but grossed more than $351 million worldwide according to Box Office Mojo. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York, editing by Deepa Babington)

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(Corrects title of Guy Ritchie's film to 'Viva La Madness', not 'Viva La Vida," in paragraph 10) By Hanna Rantala LONDON, Jan 20 ((Reuters)) – Jason Statham is back in action in "Shelter", but the British actor says his latest thriller is powered by his character's emotional arc.    "I haven't done anything like this. It feels very elevated in terms of the dramatic elements," Statham said, premiering the movie in London on Tuesday.    Statham plays Michael Mason, a former elite operative hiding out on a remote island in the Outer Hebrides. Accompanied only by his dog, Mason spends his days drinking, drawing and playing chess. An orphaned girl, Jesse (Bodhi Rae Breathnach), regularly brings him supplies on a rowboat, but is told to avoid contact.     When a storm breaks out during one of her deliveries, Mason rescues Jesse, setting off events that lead his past enemies on his tracks and forcing Mason to take action to protect the youngster.    The film is about "an improbable pairing" finding purpose in each other, said Statham. "It's certainly a slow burn."    That gradual crescendo helps audiences connect with the characters, said director Ric Roman Waugh, known for "Greenland" and "Angel Has Fallen".    "We're unravelling a mystery in a way that creates empathy, creates emotional bond, so that when you hit the action, you're not just watching it, you're participating, and you're rooting for your heroes," he said.    A former stuntman, Waugh wanted to place viewers "inside the action" and shoot on real locations.    "What you get is a wild ride that is authentic and grounded and gets us away from the visual effects world where nothing feels real anymore," he said. "Coming from the world of stunts, I'm trying to make you feel what I went through."    Statham, 58, has a busy year ahead. His other 2026 releases include "Mutiny" and "The Beekeeper 2" and he is about to reunite with filmmaker Guy Ritchie for their sixth feature collaboration, "Viva La Madness".    "I'm very excited about that. My main man Guy Ritchie, he started my career almost 30 years ago, so I owe him a lot. He's a mentor to me. He's a very special person in my life and I've got a lot of love for the man," said Statham, noting that shooting would start in a week but revealing no further details about the project.    "Shelter", which also stars Bill Nighy and Naomi Ackie, begins its global theatrical rollout on January 28. (Reporting by Hanna RantalaEditing by Shri Navaratnam)

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By Danielle Broadway LOS ANGELES, Jan 21 – Taylor Swift, 36, will become the second-youngest songwriter ever inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, joining the ranks of Stevie Wonder, who was 33 when he was inducted in 1983, the organization announced on Wednesday. The honor places the pop superstar, winner of 14 Grammys, among the most celebrated songwriters across generations. Swift will be inducted alongside Alanis Morissette, Kenny Loggins and Kiss bandmates Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, with the ceremony set for June 11 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City, the organization announced on CBS Mornings. "They've literally written the soundtrack to our lives. The songs we dance to, cry to and rock out to," culture correspondent Anthony Mason said on CBS Mornings before announcing the inductees.  Established in 1969, the Songwriters Hall of Fame requires that inducted songwriters have a notable catalog of songs to qualify for induction 20 years after the first commercial release of a song. The "Bad Blood" singer has won four Grammy album of the year awards. Her latest release, "The Life of a Showgirl," sold more copies than any other album in the modern era during its first week of release, according to Billboard, which cited data from Luminate, a firm that tracks music sales. In May 2025, Swift announced that she bought her music rights, officially reclaiming ownership of all her master recordings, including her first six albums. Later that year, Swift's record-breaking Eras tour spawned a concert film and a six-part documentary series that chronicles the success of the tour on Disney+. Her 2024 "The Tortured Poets Department" album, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart, sold the equivalent of 8 million albums in the United States, according to Luminate. (Reporting by Danielle Broadway and Sarah Mills; Editing by Howard Goller)

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

By Danielle Broadway LOS ANGELES, Jan 21 – Taylor Swift, 36, will become the second-youngest songwriter ever inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, joining the ranks of Stevie Wonder, who was 33 when he was inducted in 1983, the organization announced on Wednesday. The honor places the pop superstar, winner of 14 Grammys, among the most celebrated songwriters across generations. Swift will be inducted alongside Alanis Morissette, Kenny Loggins and Kiss bandmates Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, with the ceremony set for June 11 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City, the organization announced on CBS Mornings. "They've literally written the soundtrack to our lives. The songs we dance to, cry to and rock out to," culture correspondent Anthony Mason said on CBS Mornings before announcing the inductees.  Established in 1969, the Songwriters Hall of Fame requires that inducted songwriters have a notable catalog of songs to qualify for induction 20 years after the first commercial release of a song. The "Bad Blood" singer has won four Grammy album of the year awards. Her latest release, "The Life of a Showgirl," sold more copies than any other album in the modern era during its first week of release, according to Billboard, which cited data from Luminate, a firm that tracks music sales. In May 2025, Swift announced that she bought her music rights, officially reclaiming ownership of all her master recordings, including her first six albums. Later that year, Swift's record-breaking Eras tour spawned a concert film and a six-part documentary series that chronicles the success of the tour on Disney+. Her 2024 "The Tortured Poets Department" album, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart, sold the equivalent of 8 million albums in the United States, according to Luminate. (Reporting by Danielle Broadway and Sarah Mills; Editing by Howard Goller)

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By Jaspreet Singh, Anhata Rooprai and Zaheer Kachwala Jan 21 (Reuters) – Nick LaFleur is one of many Americans who think a Netflix-Warner Bros tie-up might provide some relief from "subscription fatigue." The New York City resident has held on to a full poker hand of streaming services – Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV, HBO Max and Paramount+ – even as prices have risen steadily. Netflix on Tuesday switched its nearly $83 billion offer for most of Warner Bros to all-cash to keep Paramount at bay as the two compete for the company's coveted studio and content library. If successful, a Netflix-Warner Bros tie-up could bring the HBO Max streaming service under the same umbrella as Netflix.  LaFleur and others hope that might translate to smaller bills. "The trajectory of streaming prices, whether there is a merger or not, seems to be going up and up," said LaFleur, who works in tech communications. "I would imagine they would not just add the price of HBO Max to Netflix… my expectation is that I could get a discount."  Americans now pay for an average of 2.9 streaming subscriptions despite the rising costs, which now come to $552 a year, according to a Forbes Home survey of 1,000 people published in November. As of June, most HBO Max subscribers had a Netflix subscription – 94%, in fact, according to Bernstein analysts, while 38% of Netflix users had HBO Max. A tie-up could revive streaming's early promise of "everything under one roof" before studios yanked their content to launch rival services.  The downside? The deal could stifle competition and erode HBO's reputation for prestige programming that currently exceeds Netflix's, experts say.  "IT'S A PAIN TO MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS" The proliferation of streamers has swamped consumers with content, similar to hundreds of unwatched channels offered by cable TV when the industry was at its peak. About 72% of U.S. consumers said streaming bundles offer better value, while 63% say they feel overwhelmed by the options, according to a Mintel survey of nearly 2,000 people last August. "It's a pain to manage subscriptions," said Orlando-based Frank Weaver, who resorted to buying an app to track them and has canceled some services because of the cost. A report last year from industry tracker Antenna showed the recently introduced discounted bundle of Disney+, Hulu and HBO Max retained 80% of its subscribers after three months, stickier than any of the standalone services. NETFLIX FORMS THE BASIS OF VIEWING PACKAGES For many viewers, Netflix, the global streaming leader with 325 million subscribers, forms the basis of any viewing package.  About 78% of customers chose the service when building a hypothetical custom bundle, placing it ahead of Disney+, Paramount+ and HBO Max, according to a Forrester Research survey of more than 400 adults in the U.S., the UK and Canada published last year. Part of Netflix's argument in its bid for Warner Bros was that the combination may lower costs for consumers and ease regulatory fears, Reuters reported last year. Netflix's standard plan is priced at $17.99 a month, while HBO Max's equivalent tier costs $18.49 and Paramount+'s ad-free Premium plan costs $13.99, according to the companies' websites.  DOING THE OPPOSITE? Netflix scrapped its cheapest ad-free plan, called basic, in 2023, leaving consumers with its more expensive premium and standard plans, as well as the standard plan with ads. The premium plan now costs $24.99 a month, up from $19.99 in 2022, while the standard ad-free plan's price has gone up by more than $2 to $17.99 in the period. Lawmakers have warned that the Netflix-Warner Bros combo could give the combined firm outsized bargaining power. Experts say this could lead to fewer choices, giving Netflix more power to raise its rates, spend less on the kind of quality shows offered by HBO, or both. "Whether the winning bidder is Netflix or Paramount, the worry is whether they will be positioned to pay less for content," said Bill Baer, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution and former U.S. assistant attorney general for antitrust under President Barack Obama. "That likely would diminish both the number and the quality of programming and the number of people willing to invest in the creative process." (Reporting by Jaspreet Singh, Zaheer Kachwala, Anhata Rooprai and Harshita Varghese in Bengaluru; Writing by Aditya Soni; Editing by Anil D'Silva)

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