Warner Bros rejects Paramount takeover again and tells shareholders to stick with Netflix bid

Core Viewpoint - Warner Bros. has rejected Paramount's takeover bid and is urging shareholders to support a competing offer from Netflix, which values Warner's streaming and studio business at $72 billion [1][2]. Group 1: Warner Bros. and Paramount's Offers - Warner Bros. leadership has consistently dismissed Paramount's overtures, emphasizing that the Paramount offer is not in the best interests of the company or its shareholders [2]. - Paramount has increased its offer to $77.9 billion for the entire Warner Bros. company and has made a hostile bid directly to shareholders [1][3]. - Paramount has secured a $40.4 billion equity financing guarantee from Oracle founder Larry Ellison to support its bid [3]. Group 2: Differences in Acquisition Goals - Netflix's acquisition proposal focuses solely on Warner's studio and streaming business, including legacy TV and movie production arms and platforms like HBO Max [4]. - In contrast, Paramount aims to acquire the entire company, which includes additional networks such as CNN and Discovery [4]. Group 3: Regulatory Considerations - A merger with either Netflix or Paramount is expected to face significant antitrust scrutiny, likely triggering a review by the U.S. Justice Department [5]. - The potential merger could lead to legal challenges or requests for modifications from regulators in the U.S. and other countries [5].