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Paramount-WBD deal closes; here are top quant-rated entertainment stocks
Paramount Skydance–WBD merger reshapes entertainment—see 20 top quant-rated movies & broadcasting stocks (AMC, DIS, NFLX, ROKU).
Glen Powell Says He Doesn't Talk Politics: 'My Calling Is Elsewhere'
The actor told Esquire that engaging in political conversations was "not presently possible" and that Paramount "let go of an entire marketing department a month before ['The Running Man'] came out in the middle of a merger."
CNN chief Mark Thompson in talks to remain in role after Paramount takes over network
Paramount Chief Executive David Ellison has approached Thompson about staying in charge following the merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.
Rush University System and Endeavor Health announce merger, would create largest health system in Ch
PROFILE: Ben Sio
New President of CenterState CEO Brings Nearly Two Decades of Experience to Drive CNY Growth By Stefan Yablonski Ben Sio serves as president of the CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity — or CenterState CEO. The independent Syracuse-based nonprofit is committed to creating inclusive, equitable and sustainable economic growth in Central New York. “I started in this position in March, so it has been six months. I’m in my 19th year with CenterState,” he said in August. As president, he is responsible for overseeing the organization’s administration and governance, while leading and executing its vision to be an effective advocate, exceptional employer and a force for positive outcomes for the community. He previously served as chief of staff and senior vice president of strategy, policy and planning, overseeing the organization’s long-term strategic planning, consulting, corporate governance, fundraising and development, land-use planning and government relations. In his years with the organization, Sio has led or supported many high-profile strategic initiatives including the creation of the CNY Rising Plan, the launch of the NUAIR Alliance and the region’s UAS strategy, the creation of the Micron-enabled Community Priorities Document and the recently awarded NY Smart I Corridor Tech Hub. “When we decided to split Rob’s [Simpson] role into two positions, he has the CEO title and I got the president title. Rob remains focused on forward looking vision strategy for the organization and I’m more focused on the day-to-day operations,” he explained. “I’m also responsible for building consensus around strategic needs and priorities and managing the change necessary to drive execution. It’s an eventful job. “The experiment that we call CenterState is always evolving and shifting and addressing where we see market demand and market failure. “If we see something in our economy that isn’t going the way we think it should go, then whether it is housing development or workforce development or something else, we are always figuring out how to step into these situations and address those challenges.” “We are the largest ever in terms of staff that we have ever been. We are no longer the 20-person organization we were when we started out many, many years ago,” he said. “There are more day-to-day things to take care of. But also there is just so much happening in the community right now that is pulling CenterState and our expertise in so many directions. I tell people if we were bored and not busy, then I’d be really concerned about what we are doing. But we are not bored. We’ve certainly got our hands full — and that is a good thing.” CenterState has now approximately 63 employees on its staff, according to recent nonprofit database records. It’s involved in myriad programs, ranging from Genius NY, a business accelerator competition for uncrewed systems, IoT and robotics startups, to CenterState Up Start, a collaborative business development program that connects local, service-based businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs to the tools and networks that help them thrive. CNY Guy Through and Through A Central New York guy through and through, Sio was born and raised in Skaneateles. “My mom was a teacher, an art teacher. My father worked for many, many years with National Grid. He was there through the transition from Niagara Mohawk to National Grid,” he said. “Neither of my parents were touched by cutbacks and job loss. But I grew up going through that transition and being concerned that there were rounds of layoffs. My childhood connection to the economy here in Central New York … years ago it was on the decline. There were people that lived here that were concerned about losing their job. They were thinking they lived in a place that didn’t show much promise.” That narrative translated to his generation, he added. “The kids that grew up in the ‘90s in Central New York were very much told, directly or indirectly, by their parents, that they had to go somewhere else to find economic opportunity. That is what I grew up thinking,” he said. “I only went a few miles down Route 20 for college — in Geneva, New York; I graduated from Hobart and William Smith College with a bachelor’s degree in public policy and political science. “I got real interested in regional economies; because what makes regional economy is what makes the economy successful. And when I graduated, I had an opportunity to move to Washington, DC and work down there at a nonprofit doing this work.” However, he decided to stay in Central New York. “I got hired two weeks after I graduated. I got hired by the Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce. At the time it was one of two entities doing economic development in Central New York — [the Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce and the Metropolitan Development Association] — and it eventually became CenterState CEO,” he said, referring to 2010 merger between the two organizations. During his time at CenterState, Sio has also split time at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., where he supported communities developing export and foreign direct investment (FDI), a long-term cross-border investment where an individual or company from one country buys a lasting stake or control in a business located in another country. The program — known as Global Cities Initiative — was designed to help leaders in major U.S. and international metropolitan areas reorient their local economies toward global markets. “Early on in my tenure at CenterState, we had done a lot of work with the Brookings Institution, just regional planning stuff. We worked with them on developing a regional export plan, to export more products out of Central New York and a larger business plan for the region. They hired me on to help replicate those plans in different parts of the country,”Sio explained. “So, I worked there for three or four years. I worked for CenterState, but I was technically loaned to Brookings for a period of time to help them do this work elsewhere.” Family ties “My wife is Carly. We have been married 14 years. We have two kids, a 3-year-old and a 7-year-old. “With a 3-year-old and a 7-year-old, fun is a relative term these days. We do a lot of hiking. The kids this summer got very interested in waterfalls. We’ve hit every waterfall we could in a short hike — we’ve done Skaneateles and some others.” “I do woodworking and wood turning — it’s a branch of woodworking; you use a wood lathe. My big thing there is making wood bowls. I do that in most of my free time, which is not much,” he quipped. “I like to get into my woodshop and make a bowl and decompress and turn off the rest of the world for a little bit. I usually do it late at night when the house is quiet. It is definitely my escape from the day to day. I make a lot of bowls; all different sizes, all different species of wood. It’s a fun thing to do for me.” He gives away many of his creations. “They are mostly gifts — I don’t really sell them. I really don’t have time to go set up a booth at a fair or craft show. I usually give them away. I donate them to different things. If you are in my periphery, you’ve likely received a salad bowl from me as a gift. I just need to find something to do with all the stuff that I create,” he said. Lifelines Name: Benjamin Sio Position: President, CenterState CEO Birth Date: Not provided Birth place: Syracuse Residence: Westvale Education: Hobart and William Smith Colleges in the Finger Lakes Affiliations: Member of the boards of Skaneateles Festival, Greccio Foundation, Interfaith Works, CNY Community Foundation Personal/family: Married with two kids Hobbies: Woodworking and woodturning
HealthPartners set to acquire Essentia Health amid spate of industry mergers in Minnesota
Skydance Is New Name for Paramount-Warner Bros. Company
Paramount and Warner Bros. will operate under the Skydance corporate name as the companies prepare to complete their $111 billion merger.
A record-breaking X-ray flash may reveal the birth of a magnetar
Astronomers have found strong evidence that some mysterious, minutes-long X-ray flashes are produced when two neutron stars collide and create a magnetar. One record-setting event glowed in X-rays for nearly 10 minutes, potentially opening a new way to find these extreme cosmic mergers.
SpaceX touts possible Tesla merger after profits soar
After a stellar SpaceX earnings announcement, chief executive Elon Musk said the rocket company is considering a merger with Tesla, the electric car company he also helms.
On cusp of merger, 'Digger bombs for Warner Bros., 'Verity' takes No. 1 at box office
On the cusp of the studio’s merger with Paramount, Warner Bros | NewsRadio 1080 KRLD
Rush University System and Endeavor Health announce merger, making them largest health system in Chicago
Rush University System for Health and Endeavor Health announced they will merge into a single integrated academic health system, creating the largest health system in Chicago.
Banijay Execs Tout Global Entertainment Ambitions Following All3Media Merger
CANNES, France — Banijay Entertainment may be the world’s largest independent television production company, but its top executives say the recently merged entertainment powerhouse has ambitions that extend far beyond making television shows. “We are an entertainment company,” CEO Marco Bassetti said Oct. 12 during a keynote discussion at MIPCOM Cannes. “We aren’t anymore just … Continue reading "Banijay Execs Tout Global Entertainment Ambitions Following All3Media Merger"
When 1 + 1 = 1: The Miserable Math Behind Many Media Mergers
(Welcome to the “Most Important Story of the Week”, my bi-weekly strategy column analyzing the most important (but often not buzziest) news story of the last two weeks. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. Please subscribe.) The last few issues of this newsletter have circled two topics: September’s streaming viewership and all the Paramount/Skydance/Warner Bros./Discovery merger news. I’m happy to say on the Streaming Ratings Report front, we’ll be all caught up by early next week, then the SRR will come out on a tight weekly schedule. Then, after today, I’ll have slayed my PSWbD dragon. It’s such a big story, it demanded multiple issues. With the announcement of a name (just Skydance) and executive team, though, I think we can almost close the book on this story. In terms of topics, it becomes just another studio to cover. So today, I have one last set of takes on that merger. As I’ve sat with it, reading about who was staying and who was going, a big worry crystallized in my brain, and I gotta get that take out. Plus, I still owe you a host of “ugliness” that didn’t fit in my previous “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” takes. Let’s dive in! Subscribe Most Important Story of the Week - As Paramount Shuffles Deck Chairs, Will They Build or Consolidate? On social media—I try to avoid most social media platforms, but sometimes I end up checking in—the best joke I saw about the announcement of the new name of Skydance was from fellow reporter Claire Atkinson who pointed out… Yeah, I laughed out loud at that one. Later, though, I saw another Twitter response (that later got deleted, so I can’t shout the person out) that did give me pause. The person noted that the Titanic film made the better analogy: a super expensive project everyone in the town doubted that went on to conquer the globe. So yeah: on one hand, the image of the Titanic recalls the actual ship and its infamous end, but that clip is from a movie which proved the doubters wrong. So for all the skepticism of the latest massive media merger, one could wonder which way this one goes. Does it crash like the Titanic or rise to glory like Titanic, the movie? Either way, this deal is “Titanic”, looking at the massive debt required to close the deal, which is not going well when it comes to borrowing costs for Paramount… …or borrowing costs for Oracle. But I’ve started to get worried about another outcome: the sum of this merger will be smaller and weaker and less profitable than its former parts. In other words, one plus one won’t equal three or two, but an even smaller number. Skydance paid to take a traditional studio off the board, but they won’t really capture the upside. Let me explain what I mean, but first, let’s look at the series of news that inspired this thought. Skydance Sets Its Leadership Team As soon as the Paramount-Skydance-Warner Bros.-Discovery merger closed, the new leadership team announced a new name—Skydance, which I’ll use going forward—and a new executive leadership team. You’ve probably read through all the executive shuffling, but if you haven’t, here’s a quick, incomplete summary, in rough order of importance: Mattel’s CEO Ynon Kreiz—who previously ran Maker Studios—joined as co-CEO with David Ellison. HBO/HBO Max’s Casey Bloys will stay and run streaming. Former head of streaming for Paramount-Skydance Cindy Holland—who was also at Netflix—will depart. The former heads of Warner Bros.—Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca—are out. The film studios will be run by Dana Goldstein and Josh Greenstein. George Cheeks of Paramount will run Skydance TV, controlling all the TV production units. In comic book news, the DC films will still be run by Peter Gunn and Peter Safran. Lastly, the head of CNN, Mark Thompson, will stay in place. Let’s quickly opine on the particulars before diving into the broad ramifications. We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… Who I like and dislike in their next gigs… Why I think this consolidation will likely leave Skydance worse off… The math behind which mergers succeed and which don’t… A lot more ugliness in this merger… And a whole lot more... ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support.
Introspection required if EU Inc fails, says start-up lobbyist
European start-ups have a new voice in Brussels. Startups for Europe, created from the merger of lobby groups Allied for Startups and the European Startup Network, is hoping to harness the momentum behind EU-Inc, a campaign that united start-ups and investors behind demands for a new pan-European company regime.At a launch event for the new association in Brussels on October 1, the mood was remarkably upbeat compared to a typical Eurobubble gathering, more Silicon Valley than Schuman roundabout.When asked whether this reflects a feeling that Europe is on the right track, chief executive Serena Borbotti-Frison said it’s a “scary” moment as the continent looks to boost its competitiveness amid a new technological arms race.“What is at stake is quite intense, and the way we can answer is by delivering, but also with hope,” she told Science|Business. “It’s what our industry does. It’s not about identifying a pain point and then saying it’s too hard.”For many in the start-up community, that sense of hope is dwindling. In March, the European Commission presented its proposal for EU Inc, naming its initiative after the grassroots campaign.EU Inc was meant to be a gamechanger: the ability to incorporate within 48 hours for less than €100 and scale up across Europe; a harmonised stock option regime enabling start-ups to compete for talent; and simplified insolvency procedures for innovative start-ups to reduce the cost of failure.However, haggling by EU governments has raised concerns that EU Inc will be stripped of the very features, including stock option harmonisation, that are meant to make it attractive for companies.“I fear we are proving to ourselves that the model doesn’t work,” Borbotti-Frison said of the policymaking process. “Everyone agrees we should have EU Inc. Everyone agrees it’s hard to scale and we need to scale to answer the competitiveness [challenge], and still we cannot deliver? [. . .] What does that say about ourselves?”The Commission has made EU Inc a cornerstone of its single market reform, and has agreed with the European Parliament and the Council of the EU to target an agreement by the end of 2026. However, several points are currently holding up an agreement, including national rules around employee participation in management decisions, and the provision that employee stock options always be taxed at the point of sale. Some EU governments have reportedly pushed back on the Commission’s choice of legal basis, contending that anything related to taxation requires unanimity in the Council.Trade unions have also protested against EU Inc, fearing it will be exploited by companies looking to undermine workers’ rights.“If this doesn’t work, it’s introspection time, on the way our institutions work, maybe the way our lobbies work, and maybe the way the cooperation between them works,” Borbotti-Frison said.“Is it in the national interest? Is it a gap between political will and technical ability to operate? Is it speed? I don't know, but something needs to be fixed.”Ahead of last week’s European Council meeting, EU-Inc campaigners tried a new strategy: appealing directly to EU presidents and prime ministers. In an open letter, they urged EU leaders to “step in and give your negotiating teams a clear mandate to change course and reverse their objections to the Commission’s original proposal.”Lessons from EU-IncLike its predecessors, Startups for Europe will represent national start-up associations, but it is also targeting investors. The founding sponsors are venture capital firm Atomico and EQT, the investor selected earlier this year to manage the €5 billion Scaleup Europe Fund.It also wants to harness the knowledge and cross-border experience of European success stories. “Take the list of the 100 biggest unicorns in Europe. We are speaking to all of them,” Borbotti-Frison said. The association plans to publish a full list of supporters following the Slush tech conference in Helsinki in November.Andreas Klinger and Simon Schaefer, two key figures in the EU-Inc campaign, are both on the board of the new association, and Startups for Europe wants to take the lessons from their campaign.What was unprecedented about EU-Inc was “how rooted it was, and how strong it was in bringing everyone on board behind one clear pain point and solution to fix it,” Borbotti-Frison said. “This is an inspiration for us, and then we need to turn it into something more systematic, more bridged in Brussels, more connected to the policymaking game, and to scale it.”If it’s possible to unite such a broad coalition, it’s because the European start-up ecosystem is now mature, she said. “Maybe it was not ten years ago. Maybe it was not five years ago. But now, it’s mature to speak with one voice.”Open and liberal EuropeThe association plans to campaign on files related to three “pain points,” Borbotti-Frison said: “start and scale in Europe, fundraise and invest in Europe, and making Europe the most innovative continent.”As well as EU Inc, she cited public procurement, the EU’s simplification push, the Savings and Investments Union, and files related to AI adoption and technological sovereignty as priorities for the coming months.What these files have in common is that they relate not to subsidies but to the framework conditions influencing the availability of mostly private, or in the case of procurement, public, funding.Related articlesEmployee participation disagreement delays MEPs’ vote on EU IncCommission urges EU governments not to water down EU IncEU’s ‘ultra-fast’ €5B scale-up fund is set up to win, says its fund managerThe budget dispute over the next Horizon Europe programme will also impact start-ups, which are supported notably through the European Innovation Council. But EU innovation funding is a drop in the ocean compared to venture capital and public procurement budgets.“If competitiveness and innovation are a priority, then the [EU budget] should reflect it,” Borbotti-Frison said. However, she added that the main question is not how much public money is invested, but “how do we create the right conditions for the market to solve the problem?”The Scaleup Europe Fund mixes both approaches, using €1 billion in EU funding to crowd in private investors and address Europe’s lack of large-scale, late-stage growth funds. “It’s a proof of concept. Ideally, then the market will do it itself,” Borbotti-Frison said.Startups for Europe is also focused on bringing an alternative political narrative. Amid competing visions for open, global markets on the one side and a protectionist Europe on the other, it wants to offer “a third voice, to say we can be proudly European and build a strong continent in a liberal economy, open to the world, and global.”It can be tempting, when thinking about how Europe can better support innovation, to look across the Atlantic. But while it’s important to compare statistics to see where Europe needs to catch up, that’s where the comparison should stop, Borbotti-Frison said. “On everything else, we need to do it our own way. We don't have the same history. We don't have the same political model. We don't have the same way of life.”Many of the key files that could benefit the start-up community, including EU Inc and the Savings and Investments Union, rely on closer integration within Europe, making it easier to operate across borders.While the Commission has made deepening the single market a political priority, support at national level is more precarious. The coming months will see pivotal elections in Spain and France, while the German government has also been coming under pressure domestically. In each country, far-right parties have been gaining ground.When asked if she was concerned the political situation could jeopardise this progress, Borbotti-Frison responded: “Of course. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t.” However, she continues to believe that cooperation is the only way forward. “Doing it alone is not the solution. It’s also not who we are, it’s not the model we are building, and it’s not the scale we need.”
Essentia Health announces plans to merge with Twin Cities-based HealthPartners
The healthcare companies announced the merger on Sept. 29, 2026. The combined company would include 22 hospitals and over 135 clinics in Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin.
More Than Crew Room Politics. Our Careers Are on the Line.
This week, former Missouri House Speaker Tim Jones published an opinion piece questioning whose interests the Teamsters are really representing as they continue to push back on the Union Pacific/Norfolk Southern merger. Read on to hear his logic.
CEO Marco Bassetti Talks Banijay After All3Media Mega-Merger
The Banijay chief discussed the new $8.5 billion super indie at the MIA Market in Rome after the super indie scaled up by adding distribution and sports to its content offering.
Banijay Entertainment Unites US Operations With Banijay America Following All3Media Merger
Ben Samek will serve as the CEO of this division, which will now house Turnkey Studio Services
Tony Gilroy Says Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Will ‘Destroy’ a ‘Healthy and Beautiful Business’ in ‘The Name of Venture Capital’: ‘It’s Tragic’
Tony Gilroy blasted the “tragic” nature of the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger at the world premiere of his new film, “Behemoth!” Produced on a $36 million budget, “Behemoth!” is representative of the m...
Hackensack Meridian Health, Hunterdon Health sign definitive merger agreement
RARITAN TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Hunterdon County) — Hackensack Meridian Health and Hunterdon Health have signed a definitive merger agreement that includes $230 million in planned capital and technology investments, bringing the …
Minnesota health officials says hospital mergers often lead to higher patient costs
Lawmakers and state regulators are considering how health system mergers could cost Minnesotans.
Rush, Endeavor to merge, creating the largest health system in Chicago
As part of the merger, Endeavor will establish $1 billion fund for community health, clinical advances and academic medicine and research.
Can Skydance CEO David Ellison Make Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Fly?
David Ellison has to prove the merged Paramount-Warner Bros., dubbed Skydance, can become a profitable Hollywood powerhouse amid its massive debt.
Read the memo Skydance product chief sent after Paramount-WBD merger
The product chief at Skydance said in a memo to staff after the Paramount and WBD merger that they will "move at a pace that matches our ambition.'
International business is influenced by local political climate, study finds
A new study co-authored by Tang Yinuo, a tenured associate professor at Peking University HSBC Business School (PHBS), reveals that conservative communities in the U.S. are more likely to resist mergers ...
Sportico Transactions: Moves and Mergers Roundup for Oct. 9
Welcome to Sportico’s transactions wire, a weekly rundown of personnel, partnerships, products and purchases across the sports business industry. PERSONNEL X Games Appoints Sports Steve Rogers as Chief Operating Officer X Games has named sports and entertainment executive Steve Rogers as chief operating officer, as the company continues the expansion of the MoonPay X Games …
NBA Europe plans continue after EuroLeague rejects merger
The NBA is forging ahead with its proposed NBA Europe league. A key vote to merge with the EuroLeague just went down.
Headway Issues, Then Retracts New Clinician Contracts After Backlash
Therapist enablement platform Headway is once again facing backlash from its clinician pool on its platform over a lengthy new contract the company rolled
Hackensack Meridian Health signs definitive agreement to acquire Hunterdon Health, commits $230M
Hackensack Meridian Health has signed a definitive agreement to pick up Central New Jersey’s Hunterdon Health, a $230 million deal that would grow the state’s largest health system to 19 total hosp | The announcement did not outline a potential timeline for the merger, which would add a nineteenth hospital to New Jersey's largest health system.
Everything Paramount will own as Skydance
What brands and IP are impacted by the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger?
Banijay Eyes Expansion Into U.S. Scripted Space
Banijay chair Jeff Zucker and CEO Marco Bassetti discussed the strategy post-merger, ramping up scripted, live entertainment, digital and sports.
DFL lawmakers voice concerns over healthcare mergers as new consolidations loom
A group of Minnesota lawmakers voiced concerns at the State Capitol on Tuesday that several recent healthcare company mergers could negatively impact Minnesota’s healthcare landscape.
Paramount-Warner Bros merger: Four ways the deal could affect you
The deal is expected to alter the entertainment and news industries but could it mean higher prices for consumers?
Looking at the Ugly Side of the Paramount-Skydance Merger...And How I’d Fix It
A Message from Our Sponsor Certified Fresh with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, FX’s Adults is an ensemble comedy series about a group of twenty-somethings in New York leaning on each other to navigate love, work, friendship and family. Don’t sleep on “The Sitcom of the Moment” - Awards Buzz All Episodes now streaming on Hulu on Disney+. Watch The Teaser Trailer... (Welcome to the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a newsletter on the entertainment industr(Welcome to the “Most Important Story of the Week”, my bi-weekly strategy column analyzing the most important (but often not buzziest) news story of the last two weeks. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. Please subscribe.) Before we dive in, I wanted to congratulate Broadcast Now for being the first to report that Netflix’s How to Get to Heaven from Belfast has been cancelled. (I saw this in a write-up by Kasey Moore of Whats-On-Netflix.) More importantly, I wanted to note that, as of yesterday, none of the other trades had reported the news yet. I have half a guess that eventually one of them will report this. Anyways, it’s time to take a break from my deluge of streaming ratings reports to continue my analysis of the Paramount Skydance Warner Bros. Discovery (PSWbD) saga. As I noted last week, a lot of times when folks use the (sometimes cliched) “the good, the bad and the ugly” framing for an article, “the ugly” section is just more bad. Or very, very bad. In this case, yeah, I do think it’s ugly. In more than one way. Unfortunately, we’re only going to have time to tackle one of those ways today: the ugly pile of debt to finance this deal. (In a future article, I may cover the entire process for how it went down, which was very, very ugly.) Last issue, I explained why I liked this deal in a vacuum. Unfortunately, “vacuums” don’t exist outside of space. Let’s dive in. Subscribe Most Important Story of the Week - The Ugliness of the Paramount/Warner Bros. Merger More than one person sent me a note speculating that the big problem with Paramount Skydance buying Warner Bros. Discovery is the “Warner Bros.” portion of the deal. In fact, that’s a take I read a lot about Warner Bros., ever since they caught Netflix’s, and then Paramount-Skydance’s, eye. In short, multiple companies (Time, AOL, AT&T, Discovery) have bought and then regretted buying Warner Bros. Since it’s nearing Halloween, you could almost say it’s like the folks think WB is cursed! It’s a haunted studio—like the town of Derry in movie studio form—and whoever takes possession of it will fall into misery! Yet...I just don’t like that story, because it doesn’t explain the “why” behind why those deals fell through. Especially when Warner Bros. has continued to succeed as a TV and film studio in the intervening two decades. Lord of the Rings? Harry Potter? Game of Thrones? Everything HBO? Considering it never fully owned a broadcast TV channel, this media company has done pretty well. So what went wrong? Well, in recent years, companies bought Warner Bros. instead of the other, smarter option. Explaining POCD (And Applying It to Mergers & Acquisitions) As I explained last issue, one of my favorite frameworks is the POCD tool for evaluating venture capital investments: People Opportunity Context Deal The bar to invest as a VC is high. (Or I might say “was” since cheap interest rates made life easier last decade.) You review a thousand prospectuses, get pitched by a hundred, and invest in the ten best, with the hopes that one of those ten would pay for the rest. That means every element of a deal needed to pay off: you needed the right people running the companies, who could capitalize on the right opportunity, in the context of an industry that was ripe for disruption. If you could then not overpay, you could make some money in a smart deal. The analogy isn’t perfect here, but close enough. For a merger or acquisition to work, you need the combined company (which is the opportunity) to make more than the price you need to pay (which is the deal). Note: the people and context still matter, but with M&A, it’s a little more straightforward: does the opportunity exceed the cost? And usually with Warner Bros., it hasn’t. If you want to find out the single biggest mistake made by the Warner Bros. suitors over the last few years (and my simple fix) become a paid subscriber. I’ll also touch on who I think Paramount-Skydance could (shockingly) consider buying next, TBD, and more. Sign up here.
There might another giant healthcare merger. What does it mean for patients?
With a third healthcare merger being proposed in the state, two experts go through the pros and cons of combining systems.
Blinding us with science: Gabriela González and Hank Green lead fall talks at Natural History Museum
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is bringing two big names in science to Cleveland this fall. Physicist Gabriela González will discuss gravitational waves Oct. 6, followed by a Q&A with science communicator Hank Green.
Warner Bros. and Paramount are now Skydance – What the merger means for you
Say goodbye to decades of Hollywood history and hello to the era of mega media corporations.
Spanberger demands 6-year rate freeze in Dominion merger
Gov. Abigail Spanberger called for the Virginia State Corporation Commission to reject the $67 billion merger between Dominion Energy and Florida's NextEra Energy unless the two utilities agree to freeze residential power rates for six years and triple monthly customer bill credits.
Banijay Confirms Senior Leadership Structure
The newly-minted Banijay Entertainment has set out its senior leadership team following the merger with All3Media.
What the HealthPartners-Essentia merger means for consumers and Minnesota health care
Three merger attempts in one year, including the newly proposed HealthPartners-Essentia deal, reflect the “dynamic, almost chaotic environment” situation in U.S. health care right now.
Elon Musk says SpaceX and Tesla exploring largest merger in history
Tech mogul says tie-up has a 'lot of merit', given firms' complementary work on AI.
Streaming vs. theaters: Where entertainment value hides
Skydance merger spotlights streaming vs theaters. Compare margins, valuations & Quant Ratings for NFLX, AMC, CNK, IMAX & more—read now to find stocks to...
What will Skydance do with the industry’s most complex sports rights portfolio?
With the Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery merger now complete, forming Skydance, many in the sports media world are watching and wondering what happens to the combined entity’s sports rights. Certainly, this seems like a good time to examine what the folks at Skydance Global Sports Group (now to be called SGSG forevermore) are, and…
Florida ‘ghost’ candidate scandal haunts FPL in merger talks with Dominion
José Javier Rodríguez, running for Florida attorney general, calls for documents to be made public.
Paramount’s Warner Bros. megamerger will just be called Skydance
David Ellison doesn’t want a ‘new corporate identity’ to overshadow Warner Bros. and Paramount’s brands.
Tony Gilroy Blasts Paramount Merger at ‘Behemoth!’ NYFF Premiere
Tony Gilroy says the impending merger threatens to dismantle the very “healthy and beautiful business” he has worked in for over three decades
Business merger bodes well for Bellingham's cider scene
Sitting down with 2 industry pros from Bellingham Cider Co., Lost Giants
ND clinics to change name following merger of two Minnesota-based healthcare providers
Two Minnesota-based healthcare providers are planning to merge and could create one of the largest nonprofit healthcare systems in the upper Midwest.
Beltway Politics Don’t Equal Job Protections for Rail Workers
Teamsters President Sean O’Brien can’t seem to stop inserting himself into the pending Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger. Read on to learn why political alliances aren’t the same as job protections.
Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger closes, creates combined company Skydance
David Ellison, CEO of Paramount Skydance, speaks during CinemaCon 2026 on April 16, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (David Becker/Getty Images for CinemaCon)
International business is influenced by local political climate, study finds
A new study co-authored by Tang Yinuo, a tenured associate professor at Peking University HSBC Business School (PHBS), reveals that conservative communities in the U.S. are more likely to resist mergers ...
Santiam Hospital CEO to retire two months after Salem Health merger
Santiam Hospital CEO Maggie Hudson is retiring Nov. 1, after 6 years leading the rural hospital. Her decision comes after the hospital’s merger with Salem Health.
New name of Paramount-Warner Bros. revealed
CEO David Ellison announced that the merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. will result in Skydance ahead of the official deal closure on Oct. 6.
Paramount, Warner Bros. will be named Skydance after merger
David Ellison said the merged Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery will be called Skydance — the moniker he picked nearly two decades ago when the tech scion began building his
Rush, Endeavor to merge, creating the largest health system in Chicago
As part of the merger, Endeavor will establish $1 billion fund for community health, clinical advances and academic medicine and research.
DAI acquires 31 home health and hospice agencies from HCA in 'unique opportunity'
Faith-based not-for-profit organization Deaconess Associations Incorporated (DAI) has finalized the acquisition of 31 home health and hospice agencies across eight states from HCA Healthcare.
Essentia Health, HealthPartners propose merger
The new partnership — which would create one of the larger health systems in the state — is to be effective Jan. 1.
Mark Ruffalo blasts Paramount–Warner Bros. merger after judge approves settlement
Mark Ruffalo decries the recently approved Paramount–Warner Bros. mega-merger as an ‘incredibly disappointing outcome’ that will ‘weaken free speech, and cost people their jobs.’
Minnesota health systems HealthPartners, Essentia Health announce plan to merge
Bloomington-based HealthPartners and Duluth-based Essentia Health announced Tuesday that their respective boards of directors have approved a merger plan.
SpaceX’s Musk Lauds Its Soaring Cloud Business and Possible Tesla Merger
SpaceX put on a bit of a show for shareholders today—and I’m not referring to the sizzle reel of rocket and space videos it showed on its earnings call. No, the big attention grabber was the update from CEO Elon Musk on the progress of SpaceX’s contemplated merger with Tesla and just how ...
Skydance raises Discovery+ prices, a week after Skydance merger
Discovery+ is getting more expensive just a week after Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery became Skydance. Here’s what subscribers will pay, and when.
Merger Dominoes Fall as HealthPartners and Essentia Agree to Combine
Now, the Essentia-HealthPartners news makes the elephant in the room that is Fairview Health Services even larger.
Midwest nonprofits HealthPartners, Essentia Health announce merger plans
Minnesota-based nonprofits HealthPartners and Essentia Health have announced plans to combine, setting the stage for an integrated 22-hospital system spanning multiple Midwest states. | The deal would yield a roughly $12.5 billion, multi-state integrated nonprofit with 22 hospitals and a 1.6 million-member insurance business.
Banijay Entertainment Unites US Operations With Banijay America Following All3Media Merger
Ben Samek will serve as the CEO of this division, which will now house Turnkey Studio Services
Massive Entertainment Merger Creates Question About NASCAR TV Coverage
A massive entertainment merger brought multiple channels together under one company and created questions about NASCAR TV coverage.
Mary McNamara: As David Ellison names his new empire Skydance, the message is clear: He owns Hollywood
LOS ANGELES — What a surprise. David Ellison has decided to name the Frankenstudio media company created by the merger of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery simply Skydance. And
Warner Bros. and Paramount are now Skydance – What the merger means for you
Say goodbye to decades of Hollywood history and hello to the era of mega media corporations.
CBS Sports Chief David Berson To Expand Portfolio As TNT Sports Chief Luis Silberwasser Exits
David Berson, who has led CBS Sports as president since 2024, will expand his portfolio after the close of the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger. The exec will take responsibility for sports across Skydance, the soon-to-be-umbrella over CBS and TNT Sports and their respective parents, Paramount and WBD. The $111 billion merger is due to close …
Merger Dominoes Fall as HealthPartners and Essentia Agree to Combine
Now, the Essentia-HealthPartners news makes the elephant in the room that is Fairview Health Services even larger.
HealthPartners, Essentia Health Announce Merger Plans
Minnesota-based healthcare systems HealthPartners and Essentia Health announced today that their boards of directors have approved an affiliation agreement to combine their organizations. The combined organization will be called HealthPartners and would employ 45,000 people. It would include 22 hospitals and 135 clinics spanning the Twin Cities, northern Minnesota, and…
SpaceX and Tesla form committees to explore merger
Elon Musk, who is CEO of both companies and owns billions in stock, said he can't be a part of those merger discussions.
Essentia Health, HealthPartners announce planned merger
The organizations are targeting an effective launch date of Jan. 1, 2027, pending regulatory review.
CentraCare healthcare system to acquire Stellis Health in merger of central Minnesota providers
The two organizations already have a history of collaboration, including at CentraCare-Monticello hospital, where Stellis physicians provide care. The move comes as Minnesota’s healthcare systems face increasing financial pressures.
FTI, Oracle and Paramount: This Week's Top Five Stories
This week's top stories include, FTI Consulting on the AI slowdown, Oracle's US$664bn backlog and further news from Paramount's Warner Bros. merger
Paramount streaming chief exits ahead of Warner Bros. Discovery merger
Paramount Skydance's streaming head exits ahead of the WBD merger. She told staff CEO David Ellison was "optimizing for HBO stability."
Banijay America Confirms Ben Samek as CEO, Post-Merger With All3Media
Banijay America has confirmed its new structure post-merger with All3Media, as Ben Samek will serve as CEO of the combined company.
What the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger means for the future of film
Paramount now owns Warner Bros., CNN, and HBO Max. FSU students explain what that means for the movies you see and the jobs they want.
Minnesota hospitals chase strength through size
A cluster of three major health system mergers in Minnesota this year reflect urgency among providers to grow and generate efficiencies that shield them from looming federal cutbacks.
Insurance Australia Group, RAC challenge $942M merger rejection
Insurance Australia Group Ltd. and RAC Insurance Pty Ltd. have lodged applications for a tribunal review of their blocked 1.3 billion Australian dollar ($942 million) takeover deal…
Caesars Entertainment, Inc. to Release 2026 Third Quarter Results on October 27, 2026
LAS VEGAS & RENO, Nev., October 02, 2026--Caesars Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: CZR) ("Caesars", "the Company") will release its financial results for the third quarter after the market closes on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. Considering the Company’s pending merger with Fertitta Entertainment announced on May 28, 2026, Caesars will not host an earnings call. Upon completion of the proposed merger agreement, Caesars’ common stock will no longer be listed on NASDAQ, and the Company will become a priv
Davis Polk Welcomes Prominent Media & Entertainment Partner Glen Mastroberte in Los Angeles
NEW YORK, October 07, 2026--Davis Polk announced that prominent entertainment lawyer Glen Mastroberte joined the firm as a partner in the Mergers & Acquisitions practice in LA.
Federal judge allows Paramount-Warner merger to move forward
A federal judge in Oakland has approved a settlement that allows Paramount Skydance Chief Executive David Ellison to finalize his $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. Ellison is aiming
OKC's largest private employer Integris set to join Kaiser-backed Risant
Integris Health will join Risant Health in a merger that officials say will not result in layoffs or leadership changes.
On cusp of merger, 'Digger bombs for Warner Bros., 'Verity' takes No. 1 at box office
On the cusp of the studio’s merger with Paramount, Warner Bros | 830 WCCO
Endeavor Health, Rush University System announce plans to merge
Endeavor Health and Rush University System for Health announced plans to merge into a singular integrated academic health system in a Wednesday news release. The merger will create a unified network of 12 hospitals and more than 400 care sites across northern Illinois and northwest Indiana that will employ more than 46,000 people and serve...
Wake County reaches agreement with WakeMed, Atrium Health to advance proposed merger
Wake County has finalized an agreement with WakeMed and Atrium Health outlining financial commitments and patient care protections as the proposed merger awaits regulatory approval.
Paramount-WBD deal closes; here are top quant-rated entertainment stocks
The merger of Paramount Skydance (SKYD) and Warner Bros. Discovery NASDAQ:WBD marks a major shift in the entertainment industry after months of competing bids, lawsuits, and uncertainty.With the deal now closed, here are the top 20 Seeking Alpha's quant-rated stocks in the Movies and Entertainment…
Entertainment news expert discusses the Paramount Skydance, Warner Bros. Discovery merger
David Ellison's Skydance is a pretty name. What it stands for isn't
By naming the product of two mergers Skydance, David Ellison relegates two of Hollywood's founding studios to a sub-brand stew and attempts to erase a bunch of controversial hires.
What the Disney protests over Kimmel taught us about streaming mergers
Boycotting Disney is hard.
Rush Oak Park parent looks for Endeavor Health merger
Rush University System for Health announced last week that it is planning to merge with Endeavor Health.
Rush University System for Health, Endeavor Health unveil 12-hospital merger
Two of Chicagoland’s major healthcare players announced plans Wednesday to merge into a 12-hospital nonprofit with nearly $11 billion in annual revenue. | The resulting nonprofit system would be Illinois' largest by hospital count and comprise nearly $11 billion in annual operating revenue.
Bob on Business: A new place to tie up your horse — or your Honda
Also, Canadian transformers; real estate, mergers and acquisitions; and transportation.
Paramount, Warner Bros. Discovery Officially Merge Into Skydance
Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery complete their $110 billion merger, creating Skydance, a new global media and entertainment giant.
On cusp of merger, 'Digger bombs for Warner Bros., 'Verity' takes No. 1 at box office
On the cusp of the studio’s merger with Paramount, Warner Bros.
Tony Lo Sasso on healthcare costs as a top issue for voters
Tony Lo Sasso on how the issue of healthcare is shaped by mergers and rising premiums.
On cusp of merger, ‘Digger bombs for Warner Bros., ‘Verity’ takes No. 1 at box office
On the cusp of the studio’s merger with Paramount, Warner Bros.