FOLLOW US

In a high-stakes Hollywood showdown, Netflix drops $83 Billion Warner Bros Bid, stepping aside as a rival suitor tightened its grip on one of the entertainment industry’s crown jewels.

The streaming giant said Thursday it will not match the latest offer from Paramount Skydance for Warner Bros. Discovery, effectively opening the door to a merger that could redraw the balance of power across film, television and streaming.

A Bidding War Reaches Its Climax

Netflix had agreed in December to acquire part of Warner Bros. Discovery for $27.75 per share, a transaction valued at roughly $82.7 billion. But the landscape shifted when Paramount Skydance put forward a sweeping all-cash proposal — first at $30 per share to buy the entire company, then escalating Tuesday to $31 per share.

That enhanced bid values Warner Bros. Discovery at approximately $110 billion. Paramount Skydance owns CBS News.

Earlier Thursday, Warner Bros. Discovery’s board informed Netflix that Paramount’s $31 per share offer qualified as a “superior proposal.”

Netflix co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters responded in a statement that the deal they negotiated would have delivered shareholder value with what they described as a clear route to regulatory approval. However, they said matching Paramount Skydance’s latest price would no longer be financially compelling.

“We’ve always been disciplined,” they said, adding that at the new valuation, the transaction no longer made economic sense.

Paramount Skydance did not immediately comment.

Antitrust Clouds Gather

Behind the scenes, the drama extended to Washington.

Sarandos met Thursday at the White House with President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles. Earlier that day, he held discussions at the Justice Department with Attorney General Pam Bondi, acting antitrust chief Omeed Assefi and other senior officials, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Justice Department officials indicated they would conduct an extensive antitrust review of any Netflix-Warner Bros. Discovery combination, sources told CBS News.

Warner Bros. Discovery controls a broad portfolio of streaming and film assets, along with cable brands including CNN, Food Network, HBO, HGTV, TBS, TNT and Turner Classic Movies.

Any merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery will likewise require approval from federal antitrust regulators.

Industry at a Crossroads

Paramount Skydance executives have argued that combining the companies would strengthen the entertainment sector, which continues to rebound unevenly from pandemic-era disruption. They say consumers would benefit from greater scale and resources.

But some industry groups and lawmakers have warned that fusing two major Hollywood studios could erode competition.

Paramount Skydance has also contended that a tie-up between Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery — owner of the HBO Max streaming platform — would likely have faced significant antitrust hurdles.

In sweetening its bid this week, Paramount Skydance pledged to pay a $7 billion termination fee if its acquisition collapses due to regulatory objections — a financial backstop meant to signal confidence.

With Netflix stepping back, the stage is set for a potential blockbuster merger. The question now is whether regulators will see it as evolution — or excessive consolidation.