Warner-Paramount $111B merger gets shareholder approval
What's the story
Warner Bros. Discovery's shareholders have approved the company's proposed mega-merger with Paramount, a deal worth $81 billion. The majority of stakeholders voted in favor of the acquisition at a price of $31 per share. Including debt, the total value of the transaction is estimated to be nearly $111 billion based on Warner's current outstanding shares.
Merger implications
Warner CEO calls shareholder approval 'key milestone'
Paramount, which was acquired by Skydance just last year, is eyeing a complete takeover of Warner Bros. This could see popular platforms and content such as HBO Max, Harry Potter, and CNN joining the same umbrella as CBS, Top Gun, and the Paramount+ streaming service. David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, called the shareholder approval "another key milestone toward completing this historic transaction."
Acquisition hurdles
Deal still needs to clear regulatory reviews
Despite the shareholder approval, the merger still has to clear regulatory reviews. The deal has drawn criticism from some quarters for further consolidating an already concentrated industry. There are calls to block the merger, either through the Trump administration or at state level or through other legal battles in the US and overseas.