Paramount Accuses Warner Bros. of Running an “Unfair” Sales Process as Studio Fight Turns Public

The fight to buy Warner Bros. Discovery has become very public and increasingly contentious. Paramount has issued a strong complaint, accusing the company of unfairly favoring another bidder. With accusations and leaked information spreading rapidly, the competition to acquire this historic Hollywood studio is now playing out like a dramatic television show.

Okay, so the big drama right now revolves around David Ellison’s Paramount-Skydance deal. They’re claiming Warner Bros. Discovery isn’t playing fair in the bidding, and seems to be really leaning towards Netflix. A memo leaked to CNBC details these accusations, saying Warner Bros. management is giving Netflix special treatment. Honestly, this isn’t surprising – the New York Post reported a while back that a lot of people inside Warner Bros. Discovery were quietly rooting for Netflix all along.

The letter claims that several U.S. news sources have reported Warner Bros. Discovery executives are very interested in a deal with Netflix, even calling it a guaranteed success. These reports also suggest WBD views Paramount’s offer less favorably.

Okay, so this letter makes a pretty serious claim: it suggests some executives might be leaning towards Netflix not because it’s the smartest business move, but because of… well, who they know over there. It’s implying personal connections are playing a bigger role than cold, hard financial reasoning, and honestly, that’s a concerning accusation.

The report also notes that Warner Bros. Discovery’s board now seems much more interested in a deal with Netflix. This is because the leadership teams at both companies have developed a strong working relationship.

That’s a serious claim. Basically, Paramount is suggesting that personal feelings and relationships, rather than business reasons, are influencing a multi-billion dollar media merger.

Warner Bros. Discovery, under the direction of CEO David Zaslav, offered a formal response. The company’s legal team released a statement confirming they are operating legally and ethically.

The Warner Bros. Discovery board takes its legal responsibilities very seriously and has fully met them, and will continue to do so, according to a statement.

The polite translation: “Calm down. We’re doing this correctly.”

Paramount isn’t convinced by Warner Bros.’ explanations. A memo from Paramount suggests Warner Bros. leaders might be thinking about their own future jobs when deciding who to sell to. The memo specifically states that Paramount believes the sale process is unfair because some Warner Bros. managers may be prioritizing their own potential positions after the sale is completed.

Hollywood is used to companies fighting for control, but it’s unusual to see such a public and bitter battle over a major studio. Usually, these deals are discussed privately, with only vague announcements about talks happening.

Not this time.

Paramount clearly believes something is amiss, and they’re willing to say it loudly.

There’s a very good reason for all the interest: a lot is at stake. Paramount wants to buy all of Warner Bros. Discovery, including its TV channels, while Netflix is aiming to acquire the studio and HBO Max to become even stronger in streaming. Comcast has also made an offer, but it doesn’t seem to be the leading choice right now.

Government regulators are closely watching the potential deal between Netflix and Warner Bros., and reports suggest the Justice Department under President Trump is likely to oppose it. This is because combining Netflix’s large audience with HBO Max’s content library raises competition concerns. Meanwhile, Paramount sees this as an opportunity and is emphasizing that their proposed deal is simpler and more equitable.

Honestly, I’m seeing a lot of talk about how unfair things are, and that really seems to be the core of this growing conflict between Paramount and Warner Bros. It’s clear that Michael Ellison and his team aren’t holding back anymore – they’re really pushing back. With so much money at stake, they definitely think this fight is far from over, and they’re ready to make their case.

Hollywood is known for on-screen drama, but right now, the conflict is happening behind the scenes – it’s a battle over who controls the movie and TV industry.

Read More

2025-12-04 20:00