Paramount Q3 Revenue Just Misses Wall Street Target, But Company Boosts Cost Savings Estimate To $3B

Core Insights - Paramount's third-quarter revenue was $6.71 billion, falling short of the $6.99 billion expected by analysts, but the company provided optimistic projections for 2026 [1][2] - The company anticipates 2026 revenue of $30 billion and adjusted OIBDA of $3.5 billion, driven by increased streaming revenue and global profitability [2] - Cost savings from the Skydance merger have been increased from $2 billion to $3 billion [2] Financial Performance - The earnings report is the first following the completion of the Skydance merger on August 7, which faced a lengthy regulatory process [3] - Investors reacted positively to the earnings results, with shares rising in after-hours trading after a period of sluggish performance [4] Strategic Moves - Paramount is downsizing, laying off about 2,000 workers, which is roughly 10% of its global workforce, to achieve the promised cost savings from the merger [5] - The company has been active in dealmaking, including a $7.7 billion acquisition for UFC rights and a $150 million deal for Bari Weiss's The Free Press [5] Talent Acquisition and Competition - Paramount attracted the Duffer Brothers from Netflix but lost Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan to NBCUniversal [6] - The company has made three offers to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, which is valued around $60 billion, while WBD is also considering a split into two separate companies [7]