Lower than a yr in the past, Skydance Media closed its $8 billion merger with Paramount, making the Trump-friendly Ellison household—billionaire Oracle founder Larry and his son David, CEO of Paramount Skydance—among the many strongest media moguls within the nation. A looming Paramount Skydance merger with Warner Bros. Discovery would increase their empire even additional.
Now that Netflix has backed out of its bid to amass WBD, the Ellisons stand to achieve a completely new trove of great mental property, from DC Comics to Harry Potter. In keeping with Reuters, Warner Bros. agreed to be acquired by Paramount Skydance in a $110 billion deal signed Friday, with Paramount Skydance agreeing to pay a $7 billion termination payment if federal regulators don’t approve the merger.
Paramount’s merger with Skydance has already led to mass layoffs, together with at CBS Information, the place Free Press founder Bari Weiss is main a cultural overhaul as editor in chief. In January, Oracle grew to become a partial proprietor of TikTok, giving the Ellisons much more cultural foreign money.
Right here’s every part the household would management if the WBD deal goes by means of.
CBS and CBS Information
Apart from its information division, which incorporates 60 Minutes, CBS can also be dwelling to hits like Tracker and Matlock, together with actuality stalwarts Survivor and Large Brother.
HBO and HBO Max
Among the many most Emmy-winningest networks to exist, HBO’s library consists of classics like Recreation of Thrones, The Wire, and Veep, in addition to newer hits like The Pitt, The Gilded Age, and Thrones spin-off A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. (Outdoors of Canada, HBO Max can also be a key distributor of the hockey smut drama Heated Rivalry.)
CNN
Whereas CNN’s rankings dipped final yr, it stays a information juggernaut and a prime 5 cable community, that includes family names like John King, Kaitlan Collins, and Anderson Cooper (who just lately introduced he might be leaving 60 Minutes on the finish of the present season).
DC Comics
The merger would put Paramount Skydance in command of storied comedian guide franchises like Superman, Batman, and Marvel Girl.
Harry Potter
The wizarding world of Harry Potter, together with all eight fantasy movies and the upcoming HBO tv collection slated to premiere in 2027 would even be underneath the Ellisons’ purview.
TikTok
As of a deal finalized in January, Oracle now holds a 15 p.c stake in TikTok’s US operations.
Star Trek
All 13 Star Trek films and tv reveals are owned by Paramount Skydance. At a press occasion final yr, Dana Goldberg, cochair of Paramount Footage and chair of Paramount Tv, stated the franchise can be a “precedence throughout the corporate.”
Warner Bros. Studios
Dwelling to blockbusters like Barbie, The Darkish Knight, and extra just lately, One Battle After One other and Sinners.
Comedy Central
South Park introduced a five-year, $1.5 billion cope with Paramount final July, simply previous to the merger with Skydance. The present has since skewered Donald Trump and people in his administration frequently.
Avatar Studios
In December, Paramount+ introduced it will be the unique streamer of Avatar Studios content material, together with animated movie The Legend of Aang: The Final Airbender and collection Avatar: Seven Havens.
A Bunch of Cable Channels and Networks
The Meals Community, HGTV, Discovery, TLC, OWN, Grownup Swim, Showtime, TNT, and TBS are all a part of WBD.
Different Key Franchises
Different notable titles which are or can be managed by the Ellisons, pending the WBD takeover, embrace: The Lord of the Rings franchise, the Mission Not possible franchise, and the distribution rights to Dune: Half Three.
2/27/26, 2:34 PM EDT: WIRED up to date particulars about Paramount Skydance’s cope with Warner Bros. Discovery.
