Newsflash: Paramount Skydance has launched a hostile takeover offer for Warner Bros Discovery, in an attempt to derail Netflix’s bid for the movie studio and streaming network,Paramount claims that its offer “provides superior value, and a more certain and quicker path to completion to WBD shareholders” than the Netflix offer, which has led to a backlash since it was announced last Friday,Paramount are offering to pay $30,00 per share in cash for Warner Brothers Discovery, which equates to an enterprise value of $108,4bn – ahead of Netflix’s offer which was worth $83bn.

David Ellison, Chairman and CEO of Paramount, says:“WBD shareholders deserve an opportunity to consider our superior all-cash offer for their shares in the entire company.Our public offer, which is on the same terms we provided to the Warner Bros.Discovery Board of Directors in private, provides superior value, and a more certain and quicker path to completion.We believe the WBD Board of Directors is pursuing an inferior proposal which exposes shareholders to a mix of cash and stock, an uncertain future trading value of the Global Networks linear cable business and a challenging regulatory approval process.We are taking our offer directly to shareholders to give them the opportunity to act in their own best interests and maximize the value of their shares.

”Time to play the closing credits….David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance is not giving up in its aggressive campaign to acquire Warner Bros Discovery (WBD), launching a hostile bid despite the announcement on Friday that Netflix had agreed to buy the company’s studio and streaming operation.Netflix’s accepted bid valued the company at $27.75 a share, though the entertainment company did not agree to acquire WBD’s traditional television assets, including the news network CNN.Paramount’s all-cash tender offer sent directly to shareholders on Monday morning is for $30 a share and would be for the entire company, offering a total enterprise value of $108.

4bn, a major premium to the company’s stock price.In making its case to shareholders, Paramount claimed its acquisition of the company provides significantly better value for shareholders would be much likelier to survive regulatory scrutiny.David Ellison and his father, Larry, whose family is financially backing the deal, are both friendly with the Trump administration.Larry Ellison had already had early conversations with a senior Trump aide about what changes he might want to see at CNN.Donald Trump had earlier warned of potential competition problems over Netflix’s $83bn (£62bn) deal to buy Warner Brothers’ movie studio and streaming networks.

The US president, speaking at an event in Washington DC on Sunday, confirmed he would be involved in deciding whether the government approved the takeover.He said Netflix had a “big market share” and the companies’ combined size “could be a problem”.In other new…China’s trade surplus has hit the $1tn mark for the first time, despite the tariffs imposed by the US this year.The averate rates on UK fixed-term mortgages have hit their lowest levels since September 2022.Unilever has spun off its ice-cream business, prompting the appearance of an “Angry giant magnum” at the London stock market.

The boss of fashion chain Asos took a pay cut to £905,920 last year when former finance director Dave Murray was handed a £1m pay off.Murray, who left in June after just over a year in the job, was paid £430,824 in salary and benefits for the period between September 2024 and 30 June 2025 and then was handed a further £583,574 package including payment in lieu of a notice period and accrued holiday pay.José Antonio Ramos Calamonte, the chief executive, saw his pay fall almost 23% in the year to 31 August from £1.2m a year before after his annual bonus was cut to zero as he missed profits and sales targets.Asos’s annual report published today says:“Whilst the business has made significant progress throughout [the 2025 financial year] and the mechanical outcome of the scheme would have resulted in an annual bonus achievement of 4.

56% of base salary … [the board] exercised its discretion and determined that no bonus would be payable.”In the aerospace business, Airbus has confirmed that it will take on 4,000 workers from supplier Spirit Aerosystems, in a deal that will lead to an awkward site share in Belfast with the European planemaker’s bitter rival, Boeing.The deal will include 1,600 employees making wings for the Airbus A220 in Belfast, 1,200 employees in Prestwick, Scotland, who make wing components for A320 and A350, plus an assortment of operations in North Carolina, France and Morocco.Boeing announced the takeover of Spirit in July 2024 as it tried to regain control over its supply chain after a string of emergencies that plunged it into crisis.That immediately triggered talks over who would take on the parts of Spirit’s business serving Airbus.

Airbus and Spirit announced a deal in April, under which Airbus will receive compensation of $439m.In the Northern Irish capital, Boeing will take on employees who do not work on Airbus parts, after failing to find another buyer.It means the world’s two dominant players will be next-door neighbours at the site, which was historically known as Short Brothers.Unions have previously expressed concern for the future of the 2,400 non-Airbus jobs.Boeing made no reference to job cuts, and said it would operate as an independent subsidiary called “Short Brothers, a Boeing Company”.

Jerome Blandin, head of wing operations forAirbus Commercial Aircraft, said the company would invest in Belfast, and that it was “critical to Airbus’ production ramp-up”.He added:Our immediate focus is on ensuring a smooth transition for all employees and providing stability to our operations.We will continue close engagement with our new teams, union representatives and government partners, underscoring our investment in the sustainable, long-term future of these high-value industrial sites and their skilled workforces.The world flies on UK wings!Paramoun will hope it has knocked Netflix’s bid for Warner Brothers aside with its own, higher, offer, says Ben Barringer, head of technology research at Quilter Cheviot: “Paramount’s blockbuster bid for Warner Brothers underscores that we are just at the beginning of this saga rather than at the end point.Following Netflix’s surprise bid for the entertainment giant at the end of last week, a rival bid from Paramount was expected and as expected they have looked to push Netflix to the sidelines with a significantly higher value.

“Paramount ultimately needs this deal more than Netflix, and that may be a driving factor in the valuation it is putting on Warner Bros.Paramount remains a legacy entertainment provider that lacks the scale required for the modern age.Consolidating amongst peers is the sensible play and gives them the best opportunity to rival Disney for that number two slot behind Netflix.“For Netflix, meanwhile, this sort of asset remains a nice to have rather than a necessity.There is an element of defensiveness in that it won’t want a player like Paramount to significantly increase its size and reach, at the same time as taking ownership of a prized asset like HBO.

Getting this deal over the line, for Netflix, would give it more engagement and ultimately more pricing power.However, it has historically been a builder, not a buyer, and as such its next move will be watched closely.“The ball is in Netflix’s court and it will likely want to show some discipline.Paramount will hope that it has blown the streaming giant out of the water with this bid, but even if it has, any review by the DoJ is likely to result in a long process.”Some unions have also expressed concerns about the Netflix and Warner Bros merger.

In the US, the Writers Guild of America West and Writers Guild of America East have claiming it would eliminate jobs, push down wages and worsen conditions for entertainment workers, and should be blocked,In the UK, broadcasting union Bectu also criticised the deal,Head of Bectu Philippa Childs said:“The proposed takeover of Warner Brothers by Netflix is a hugely worrying development for anyone who values competition, and a plurality of voices and stories in entertainment and the media,“There is a very real danger that the industry is becoming too skewed towards large streamers with homogenisation of content and the loss of much of the UK’s unique and distinctive output,In an interview with CNBC today, Paramount CEO David Ellison said there is an “inherent bias” against his company in the bidding for Warner Brothers.

David Ellison told CNBC:“We will be the largest investor in this deal.We’re literally sitting here today because we are fighting for our shareholders, and we’re also fighting for the shareholders of Warner Bros Discovery.”[Technically, Ellison’s fiduciary duty only extends to his own shareholders, not those of the company he’s trying to buy….]Reuters report that some analysts and industry experts see Paramount as the best candidate for acquiring Warner Bros Discovery, given Ellison’s deep pockets - backed by his father, Oracle co-founder and the world’s second-richest person, Larry Ellison, who has close ties with the Trump administration.And Trump expressed concerns about Netflix’s bid just yesterday…“The Warner Bros Discovery acquisition is far from over,” said Ross Benes, an analyst at Emarketer.

Benes adds:“Netflix is in the driver’s seat but there will be twists and turns before the finish line.Paramount will appeal to shareholders, regulators, and politicians to try to stymie Netflix.The battle could become prolonged.”The pre-market trading was correct!Warner Brothers’ shares are up 7.6% in early trading on Wall Street, pushing them up to $28.

07.That’s still below Paramount’s new $30 per share all cash bid, but above Netflix’s $27.75 cash-and-share offer.There is one crucial difference between the two takeover offers for Warner Brothers Discovery.Paramount’s bid is for the entirety of Warner Bros – its cable businesses as well as its studio and streaming operations.

Netflix, though, is only trying to buy the Hollywood studios and streaming business.Warner Bros had previously announced it would separate its Streaming & Studios and Global Networks divisions into two separate publicly traded companies.Shares in Warner Brothers Discovery are soaring, after Paramount charged into the takeover battle a few minutes ago.Warner Bros’s shares have jumped by 7.4% in premarket trading to around $28.

That’s slightly above Netflix’s offer of $27.75 per share, which Paramount has now trumped with its $30/share offer.Paramount cites three reasons why its offer is better than Netflix’s.They say:Price: an all-cash offer at $30.00 per share, equating to an enterprise value of $108.

4 billion, which represents a 139% premium to the undisturbed WBD stock price of $12.54 as of September 10, 2025.In contrast, the Netflix proposal entails a volatile and complex structure valued at $27.75 mix of cash ($23.25) and stock ($4.

50), subject to collar and the future performance of Netflix, equating to an enterprise value of $82.7 billion (excluding SpinCo).Structure: Paramount proposal is for all of WBD, without leaving WBD shareholders with a sub-scale and highly leveraged stub in Global Networks, as the Netflix agreement assumes.Timeline and regulatory certainty: Paramount is highly confident in achieving expeditious regulatory clearance for its proposed offer, as it enhances competition and is pro-consumer, while creating a strong champion for creative talent and consumer choice.In contrast, the Netflix transaction is predicated on the unrealistic assumption that its anticompetitive combination with WBD, which would entrench its monopoly with a 43% share of global Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) subscribers, could withstand multiple protracted regulatory challenges across the world.

In many European Union countries the Netflix transaction would combine the dominant SVOD player with the number two or strong number three competitor.The Netflix transaction creates a clear risk of higher prices for consumers, lower pay for content creators and talent and the destruction of American and international theatrical exhibitors.Netflix has never undertaken large-scale acquisitions, resulting in increased execution risk which WBD shareholders would have to endure.Paramount also accuses Warner Brothers of “never engaging meaningfully” with its proposals.Paramount says it submitting six proposals over the course of 12 weeks during the sale process, so it is now taking its offer directly to WBD shareholders and its Board of Directors “to ensure they have the opportunity to pursue this clearly superior alternative” [to the Netflix offer, which was accepted last week].

Paramount’s David Ellison says:“We believe our offer will create a stronger Hollywood.It is in the best interests of the creative community, consumers and the movie theater industry.We believe they will benefit from the enhanced competition, higher content spend and theatrical release output, and a greater number of movies in theaters as a result of our proposed transaction.We look forward to working to expeditiously deliver this opportunity so that all stakeholders can begin to capitalize on the benefits of the combined company.”Newsflash: Paramount Skydance has launched a hostile takeover offer for Warner Bros Discovery, in an attempt to derail Netflix’s bid for the movie studio and streaming network.

Paramount claims that its offer “provides superior value, and a more certain and quicker path to completion to WBD shareholders” than the Netflix offer, which has led to a backlash since it was announced last Friday.Paramount are offering to pay $30.00 per share in cash for Warner Brothers Discovery, which equates to an enterprise value of $108.4bn – ahead of Netflix’s offer which was worth $83bn.David Ellison, Chairman and CEO of Paramount, says:“WBD shareholders deserve an opportunity to consider our superior all-cash offer for their shares in the entire company.

Our public offer, which is on the same terms we provided to the Warner Bros,Discovery Board of Directors in private, provides superior value, and a more certain and quicker path to completion,We believe the WBD Board of Directors is pursuing an inferior proposal which exposes shareholders to a mix of cash and stock, an uncertain future trading value of the Global Networks linear cable business and a challenging regulatory approval process,We are taking our offer directly to shareholders to give them the opportunity to act in their own best interests and maximize the value of their shares,”Deal news: International Business Machines Corp.

is buying the data-streaming platform Confluent.IBM has agreed to pay $31 per share for Confluent, which values the company at $9.3bn, meaning the deal is worth $11bn once you include debt.Confluent’s platform is aimed at helping companies deploy generative AI and fraud detection applications.Shares in the company have jumped 28% in pre-market trading to $29