
Netflix CEO rejects Paramounts 108 billion offer for Warner Bros (AI-Generated Image)
Netflix CEO Greg Peters didn’t hold back when he shot down Paramount Skydance’s $108 billion bid to buy Warner Bros. Discovery.
He pointed out that Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, who has agreed to put up $40.4 billion in equity, was basically the only thing keeping the offer alive, according to the Financial Times.
“Without Larry Ellison independently financing this thing, there’s no chance in hell Paramount would ever be able to pull this off,” Peters told FT.
Honestly, he didn’t have much faith in Paramount’s plan. He called the offer “pretty crazy,” especially since Paramount already carries a heavy debt load. Adding even more leverage just to fund their $30-per-share bid? It didn’t make sense to him.
There’s another twist: Not many Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders actually back Paramount’s hostile takeover attempt. Peters said the support was “very small”, a detail that speaks volumes.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Discovery’s board officially rejected Paramount Skydance’s $108.4 billion bid back in January 2026. They said the offer just didn’t measure up, especially given the risks and the lack of real value for shareholders. The board urged everyone to vote it down, insisting that their current merger agreement with Netflix made a lot more sense.
Samuel Di Piazza Jr., the board’s chair, summed it up: “The Paramount offer is still inferior to our merger agreement with Netflix across multiple key areas.”
Netflix, for its part, tweaked its offer in January, switching to an all-cash deal to keep things simple. The price stayed the same at $27.75 per Warner Bros. Discovery share, but now it’s all cash instead of a mix of cash and equity.
Peters told FT that Netflix expects to win shareholder support. He dismissed Paramount’s offer, saying it “doesn’t pass the sniff test.”
With shareholders set to vote in April 2026, Netflix is working hard to win over anyone still on the fence. Peters says their revised offer gives “greater deal certainty,” backed partly by $55 billion in debt and Netflix’s solid balance sheet.
Now, it’s just a waiting game to see which side the shareholders choose.
With 13 years on the line, Ashish Kumar Singh loves everything when it comes to movies, music, travel and pop culture. Formerly employed at ANI, Pinkvilla, India Today and HT, Ashish has interviewed some of the top celebrities of India, including Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Ranveer Singh, Ranbir Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan, among others. Breaking news excites him and deadlines are what he chases. Interviewing comes naturally to him. Hit him up at ashish.kumar02singh@gmail.com.
Collagen supplements are gaining popularity for their potential to support healthier skin, stronger joints and…
HL 10 Most Expensive Mangoes in the World and Why They Cost a Fortune
From Japan's world-famous Miyazaki mango to India's rare Noorjahan and Alphonso varieties, the world's most…
Pope Leo XIV's Return Flight Disrupted by Technical Fault, Forced to Stop in Canary Islands
Pope Leo XIV's return flight from Spain was delayed after a technical fault forced an…