Netflix's Bid to Acquire Warner Bros. Discovery Just Got a Boost From an Unlikely Source

Group 1 - Netflix has agreed to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $72 billion, which has sparked a competitive battle with Paramount Skydance aiming to disrupt the acquisition [1][2] - Netflix is considering amending its bid to an all-cash offer for Warner Bros.' studio and streaming assets, while spinning off legacy cable and broadcast television stations into a new entity called Discovery Global [2] - Under the original agreement, Warner Bros. shareholders would receive $23.25 in cash per share, Netflix shares worth approximately $4.47, and shares of the Discovery Global spin-off [3] Group 2 - Paramount CEO David Ellison has launched a hostile takeover bid, offering $30 per share directly to investors, criticizing Netflix's bid as "inferior" and claiming that Discovery Global ownership has "zero equity value" [4] - Recent developments suggest that the value of the cable channels may be underestimated, as Comcast's spin-off of Versant Media Group indicates higher potential valuations [6][8] - The potential all-cash offer from Netflix, combined with the perceived higher value of the cable channels, may influence undecided Warner Bros. shareholders to accept Netflix's offer [8]