Warner Bros. Discovery Rejects Paramount's Initial Bid For The Company

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Warner Bros Discovery Inc. has rebuffed Paramount Skydance Corp.’s initial takeover approach for being too low, according to people familiar with the matter.

Warner Bros. rejected Paramount’s offer of around $20 per share in recent weeks, the people said, asking not to be identified because the matter is private.

Paramount, led by David Ellison, has several options in its pursuit of Warner Bros., including boosting its bid, going directly to shareholders or finding additional backing through a financial partner, they added.

CNBC’s David Faber reported last week that the companies are in talks about a deal but are in disagreement over price and that Paramount could make its offer public to shareholders to pressure Warner Bros.

Representatives for Paramount and Warner Bros. declined to comment.

Warner Bros. shares closed at $17.10 on Friday, giving the company a market value of $42.3 billion. Paramount shares were at $17 a share, valuing it at $18.6 billion.

Ellison, the son of billionaire Larry Ellison, took over Paramount, the parent of CBS, Nickelodeon, MTV and the namesake movie studio, in August after completing an $8 billion merger with his film production company Skydance Media.

Paramount has been in talks with alternative asset manager Apollo Global Management about backing its bid, Bloomberg News reported last week.

Ellison said at the Bloomberg Screentime conference last week that he couldn’t comment on Warner Bros. specifically, but he did make the case for more industry mergers.

Warner Bros. plans to split into two businesses, one focused on cable TV and the other on streaming and studios, in a deal expected to be completed next year.

Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav believes he can get a hefty premium for his streaming and studios businesses once they’re separated from the debt-laden cable networks, Bloomberg News previously reported. To clinch a deal, Ellison will have to convince him that he isn’t leaving money on the table by selling before that happens.

Netflix Set To Bid For Champions League Rights

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Streaming giant Netflix is set to bid for UEFA Champions League rights for the 2027/28 season. They are thought to be interested in the ‘global first pick’ package, which will give exclusive rights around the globe for the leading game in each round.

UEFA will attract around €5 billion per year in the next round of bidding, an increase from the current package, which brought them in €3.3 billion.

Champions League Showcases Best Teams in Europe

The UEFA Champions League is considered the premier football competition in Europe, so it is no surprise that Netflix want to be part of the action. They will be hoping to feature the likes of Real Madrid, PSG and Arsenal, three teams flying high in their respective leagues this season. The latter top the Premier League standings ahead of their visit to Fulham in a London derby. They are 1/2 favourites in the Fulham vs Arsenal odds for the game.

In the Premier League betting this season, Liverpool are 11/4 to defend their title. The six-time Champions League winners are hugely popular around the world, so Netflix will be keen to frequently feature Arne Slot’s side if they secure the ‘global first pick’ package.

The Champions League changed its format in 2024 to include a 36-team league in the opening phase of the competition. This has helped to pit the bigger teams against each other earlier than usual, increasing the viewing figures for the group stage.

Amazon Already Involved in Champions League

One of Netflix’s direct competitors, Prime Video, already streams Champions League matches as part of the current package. They share the rights in the UK with TNT Sports, with Amazon broadcasting 17 matches.

Amazon, Apple and Disney are expected to bid along with Netflix for the ‘global first pick’ package from 2027. UEFA will be hoping that with four streaming giants involved, it will drive the auction to record numbers.

The winner of the auction may need to increase the cost of their packages to their customers to fund the expenditure. They will be hoping to attract new subscribers who are keen to watch the Champions League.

Boxing Has Proved a Big Success for Netflix

Should they win the rights to the UEFA Champions League, it won’t be the first sporting event that Netflix have streamed. They have already shown some major boxing events on their platform.

Netflix hosted the exhibition event between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson in 2024. It was watched live by over 60 million households. The company also shot content in the lead-up to the fight to sit across their platform.

More recently, Netflix won the rights to the huge clash between Saul Alvarez and Terence Crawford. That was billed as one of the biggest clashes this decade in the sport. Over 41 million households watched that fight live from Las Vegas.

If they can win the right to the Champions League, it will be a boost for Netflix, who are keen to be more involved in some of the leading sporting events in the world.

Spinners,’ The South African Sports Drama From Canal+ And Showmax, Returns For Season 2

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“Spinners,” the South African extreme sports action drama, is returning for a second season that brings back the creators, writers and cast of the hit drama set in Cape Town.

Co-produced by African streaming service Showmax and Canal+, season 2 of “Spinners” shot on location in South Africa with showrunner and co-creator Benjamin Hoffman. Back in the director’s chair is Jaco Bouwer, whose credits include the SXSW prizewinning eco-horror movie “Gaia.” Also back are Matthew Jankes and Sean Steinberg who penned season 2.

Joachim Landau is once again producing the gritty crime drama for Federation Middle East Africa & Caribbean, alongside Ramadan Suleman (“Zulu Love Letter”) who is co-producing through his South African full-service company Natives at Large.

Studiocanal, whose sister company Canal+ commissioned the series, is unveiling a first look of season 2 in the run up to Mipcom. The show illustrates creative synergies between the French TV group and Showmax, the streaming service of MultiChoice, the pan-African pay-TV operator that’s now fully owned by Canal+ and operates across 50 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. It will roll out on both Canal+ and MultiChoice platforms, Showmax and DStv.

The first season of “Spinners” make history as the first African show to take part in Canneseries’ main competition in 2023 and went on to win awards at Dakar Series, and the Shanghai TV festival, as well as garnered three nominations at the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTA).

The first season followed 17-year-old Ethan (Cantona James) seeking a way out of the Southside’s bloody cycle of gang violence through spinning, a South African extreme motorsport that features drivers performing daredevil stunts. Season 2 sees is set two years after Ethan and his friends escaped the violent grip of gang life and have become spinning stars in the big city. “Fame, love, and happiness finally seem within reach—until a brutal ambush, orchestrated by Ethan’s old gang, shatters their peace. Desperate, Ethan turns to the Maseko clan for help but their protection comes at a heavy cost,” the synopsis reads.

Cantona James and Chelsea Thomas reprise their leading roles, along with Brendon Daniels – who starred in “White Lies” opposite Natalie Dormer, and local star Dillon Windvogel (“Blood & Water”). Cameos include Kayla Olifant, a top female spinner who was recently featured in the National Geographic series “David Blaine: Do Not Attempt.”

New cast members are also joining season 2 of “Spinners,” including Clementine Mosimane (“How to Ruin Christmas”), Mondli Makhoba (“Shaka iLembe”) and rising star Luyanda Zwane (“Sibongile and the Dlaminis”) and Aphiwe Mkefe (“Nkuleko”).

The production of “Spinners” season 2 reflects the ambition of Canal+ which aims at ramping up its pipeline of Canal+ original series in Africa to eight shows per year hailing from all over Africa.

Since 2018, Canal+ has produced 35 Canal+ series with African talent in 11 different African countries. These include “Invisibles,” “Agent,” “Cacao,” “Mami Wata,” “Eki,” “Or Blanc,” “Niabla,” “Ewusu” and “Lakantane.”

Disney Branded TV Picks Up ‘BeddyByes’ Preschool Animated Series

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Thunderbird Distribution and Thunderbird Brands, the distribution and consumer products arms of Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc., announce a landmark collaboration with Disney Branded Television to bring the bedtime series BeddyByes to audiences worldwide. The deal grants Disney Jr. U.S. linear television rights and Disney+ global SVOD rights. The series is set to premiere on Disney Jr. and Disney+ early next year.

“BeddyByes is a delightful series that makes bedtime something kids look forward to,” said Ayo Davis, President, Disney Branded Television. “Adding it to Disney Jr. and Disney+’s industry-leading preschool slate reflects our commitment to serving preschoolers at every stage of their development with stories filled with magic, wonder and heart.”

Created and produced by JAM Media’s John Rice and Alan Shannon, BeddyByes is an animated series that supports healthy sleeping habits for preschoolers. Each episode follows a familiar daily routine that is easy for young children to follow (playtime, mealtime, bathtime and bedtime) and a calming journey to sleep, both of which experts recommend. MeMo and BaBa, preschoolers themselves, star alongside other adorable characters, with soothing music and comforting visuals that gradually dim as the story and journey to sleep unfold.

“Launching BeddyByes on Disney Jr. and Disney+ gives us an incredible global stage for this beautifully crafted preschool series,” said Thunderbird President of Global Distribution & Consumer Products, Richard Goldsmith. “We’re thrilled to introduce this series alongside Disney’s other iconic brands that are loved by kids and trusted by parents. We expect that parents and caregivers will access BeddyByes throughout the day to support naptime and bedtime for their young children.”

Rice, CEO of JAM Media, added, “We’re delighted that BeddyByes has found a home on Disney Jr. and Disney+. This series was designed to help little ones and their families establish healthy sleep routines through gentle storytelling, music and visuals. To see it showcased on such a trusted global platform is incredibly rewarding, and we’re excited for preschoolers everywhere to welcome MeMo, BaBa and friends into their daily wind-down rituals.”

Thunderbird Distribution acquired global media (excluding the U.K., Ireland and Finland, and certain rights in Denmark and Sweden) and global consumer product rights to BeddyByes in 2024. The CG-animated preschool series is produced by Ireland’s JAM Media and is an original production for BBC Children’s and Education. BeddyByes made its debut on BBC iPlayer and CBeebies in May and June 2025, respectively. The series is also available on RTÉ Player (Ireland) and Nordic pubcasters DR (Denmark), YLE (Finland) and SVT (Sweden) have licensed the series.

Former ICASA CEO To Lead MultiChoice Pty. Ltd (LicenceCo)

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Former CEO of communications regulator Icasa Willington Ngwepe has been appointed as CEO of MultiChoice LicenceCo, the company that houses DStv’s subscription broadcast licences in South Africa.

“Ngwepe brings extensive executive leadership and regulatory experience to the role. His most recent role was executive head of regulatory affairs at MultiChoice Group, where he played a central role in guiding the company’s engagement with regulatory authorities, including the approvals process for the Canal+ transaction across Africa,” MultiChoice said in a statement on Monday.

LicenceCo was created ahead of the acquisition by French broadcasting giant Groupe Canal+ of MultiChoice Group with the aim of isolating the former’s South African broadcast licensee and excluding it from the assets being acquired at group level.

This sought to avoid violating the Electronic Communications Act, which restricts foreign entities from owning and having voting rights higher than 20% in a South African broadcast licensee. LicenceCo is also the entity that South African subscribers will contract with regarding their DStv subscriptions.

AfriFund Investments, a shareholder alongside Identity Partners and MultiChoice black empowerment scheme Phuthuma Nathi in LicenceCo, is led by former Telkom Group CEO Sipho Maseko. Maseko has been appointed as “board observer” at LicenceCo.

“These developments constitute a significant milestone in strengthening the governance of MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd. The appointment of an experienced and independent board, together with the leadership of Willington as CEO, ensures continuity, compliance and stability for the operations in South Africa,” said MultiChoice.

Other nominations

News of the appointments at LicenceCo follow the consummation last month of Canal+’s acquisition of MultiChoice, which has seen the appointment of David Mignot as MultiChoice Group CEO. He replaced Calvo Mawela, who has shifted to the role of chairman of Canal+ Africa.

Mawela and Mignot also have nominated by MultiChoice Group to also serve on the LicenceCo board. Lerato Pule was nominated by Phuthuma Nathi to serve as its interim representative. Other nominations to the board include Sonja de Bruyn of Identity Partners and Sizeka Magwentshu-Rustenburg. Magwentshu-Rustenburg will serve as board chair. 

eMedia Holdings Acquires 30% Stake In Pristine World Holdings

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South African media company eMedia Investments, owner of e.tv, has announced the acquisition of a 30% equity stake in Pristine World Holdings, a specialist provider of high-end visual effects (VFX) services to the global film and television industry. The deal, valued at R119 million, marks a strategic move by eMedia to diversify its content creation capabilities and tap into international production markets.

The transaction will be executed through eMedia Investments, with payment directed to Convergence IT Services FZCO, the sole owner of Pristine World Holdings. Convergence is incorporated in the United Arab Emirates, underscoring the international scope of the deal.

In a statement released to investors on Thursday, eMedia highlighted that the investment aligns with its broader strategy to strengthen and diversify revenue streams within its existing media ecosystem. By acquiring a stake in Pristine World Holdings, and by extension, gaining access to its subsidiary MR Factory, a cutting-edge VFX studio, eMedia aims to integrate advanced visual effects technologies into its own production pipeline.

Pristine World’s service offerings include:

• Computer-generated imagery (CGI)

• Motion capture

• Digital compositing

• Animation

These capabilities will enable eMedia to enhance the quality of its content across platforms such as e.tv and eVOD, its video-on-demand service. The investment also positions the company to collaborate on international projects and offer high-end VFX services to external clients.

The timing of the acquisition coincides with eMedia’s ongoing development of its own VFX infrastructure at its Hyde Park studios in Johannesburg. This facility is being built to support real-time visual effects integration, allowing both in-house and third-party productions to benefit from advanced post-production technologies.

eMedia stated:

This investment forms part of eMedia’s strategy to diversify and strengthen its revenue streams within its existing ecosystem. By acquiring a stake in Pristine World (and, in effect, in MR Factory), eMedia gains access to the technology and innovation of MR Factory. It aims to incorporate high-quality visual effects capabilities into its content production pipeline, thus enhancing the quality of its offerings and positioning the eMedia group for international project collaboration.

The transaction is set to become effective on 1 October, pending regulatory approval from the South African Reserve Bank and the finalization of a shareholder agreement between eMedia and Pristine World Holdings.

Nickelodeon Acquires International Rights To CGI Animated Series, ‘The Marsupilamis'

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Paramount’s Nickelodeon has acquired the rights to the CGI animated series The Marsupilamis, a fresh take on the beloved kids brand, for markets outside of the U.S.

“This fresh take on the iconic character, created over 70 years ago by Belgian author André Franquin, brings the legendary Marsupilami from the wild Palombian jungle into the heart of the city,” said Nickelodeon, which is part of Paramount, now owned by Skydance.

The 52 episodes of 11 minutes are produced by Ellipse Animation and Belvision.

“Slated to launch in 2026, the comedic, action-packed new series follows twins Jade and Mica who find their world turned upside down when their explorer parents entrust them with three mysterious Marsupilami eggs,” according to a plot description. “Once they hatch, the siblings must get creative to keep their new friends hidden – after all, no one knows these energetic creatures exist, and predators could be lurking around every corner.”

The series is directed by Célestine Jacquel-Plays (Grizzy and the Lemmings). Andrew Barnett Jones and Ciaran Murtagh (The Amazing World of Gumball) served as head writers, with Guilhem Deckers (Minions 2) being the artistic director.

“We are delighted to be partnering with Ellipse and to introduce The Marsupilamis to our Nickelodeon audiences,” said l Layla Lewis, senior vp, global acquisitions and content partnerships, at Nickelodeon. “This fresh take on a beloved character brings a vibrant mix of humor, heart, and adventure that makes it an excellent addition to our slate”

Caroline Duvochel, head of audiovisual & innovation at Média-Participations and managing director of Ellipse Animation, added: “We are thrilled to finally present The Marsupilamis, with our best talents bringing a new take on the most iconic IP of our portfolio. An ambitious and unique branding strategy unites all entities within the Média Participations group, placing The Marsupilamis at the forefront of our creative efforts. Collaborating with the top-tier Paramount team is a true delight, enhancing the global reach and impact of our beloved character.” 

Catfish: The TV Show Currently Seen On MTV And eReality Has Been Cancelled After 9 Seasons

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“Catfish: The TV Show” is dead in the water.

The reality show that investigated deceptive online relationships has been canceled at MTV after nine seasons. The network is allowing the producers to shop the series elsewhere.

Hosted by Nev Schulman, “Catfish” helped people discover the truth about their suspicious digital romances — and sometimes come to terms with the person on the other side of the computer screen. The series is based on Schulman’s 2010 documentary of the same name, which coined the term “catfish” for someone who uses a false identity or stolen photos to deceive others on the internet.

Developed by Schulman, Ariel Schulman and Max Joseph, “Catfish: The TV Show” debuted in 2012 on MTV and ended with Season 9 in July 2024. Nev Schulman and Joseph co-hosted the show for its first seven seasons. In 2018, Joseph was replaced by a rotating list of presenters, including Elle King, Nick Young and Machine Gun Kelly. Eventually, Kamie Crawford joined as a permanent host, joining Schulman for 96 episodes.

“Catfish” not only gave a name to the phenomenon of digital deception. The series also spawned international spinoffs in Colombia, Chile, Brazil, Mexico and the United Kingdom. Its legacy continues on-screen: a recent episode of “The Paper” centered on an employee being catfished by someone impersonating a celebrity, and the current No. 1 documentary on Netflix is titled “Unknown Number: The High School Catfish.”

Since the end of Season 9, the status of “Catfish: The TV Show” was up in the air, as it had not received a renewal or cancellation from MTV amid the restructuring of the Paramount merger. Last month, Schulman announced he had earned his real estate broker’s license and would be helping people buy and sell homes in New York.

MSNBC To Change Name To MS NOW Under Versant

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MSNBC will change its name to My Source News Opinion World (MS NOW) and unveil a new logo later this year as part of the cable news channel’s spinoff from the Comcast-owned media company NBCUniversal.

Comcast announced last year that it would spin off most of its cable television networks into a separate publicly traded company called Versant. The new company will include MSNBC and the financial news channel CNBC as well as the USA Network, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and the Golf Channel.

The branding changes represent Versant’s emphasis on “building our individual identity and vision for the future while laying a foundation for the continued growth and success of our businesses,” Versant CEO Mark Lazarus said in a memo to staff Monday morning.

“The peacock is synonymous with NBCUniversal, and it is a symbol they have decided to keep within the NBCU family,” Lazarus said. “This gives us the opportunity to charge our own path forward, create distinct brand identities, and establish an independent news organization following the spin.”

MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler said the network will not change editorial direction as it builds out its own newsgathering operation entirely separate from NBC News. (MSNBC launched in 1996 as a joint venture between NBC News and Microsoft.)

“While our name will be changing, who we are and what we do will not,” Kutler said in an internal memo. “Our commitment to our work and our audiences will not waiver from what the brand promise has been for three decades.”

The rebrand will be accompanied by a national marketing campaign “unlike anything we have done in recent memory,” Kutler said.

CNBC, for its part, will keep the acronym “Consumer News and Business Channel” but will debut a new logo without the peacock.

Comcast will retain NBCUniversal assets such as the NBC broadcast network, NBC News, NBC Sports, the streaming platform Peacock and the cable brand Bravo.