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Why Did Paramount Kill the Skydance Merger? | Pivot

June 14, 2024 / 06:47

This episode discusses the uncertain future of Paramount Pictures, the failed merger talks with Sky, and the involvement of billionaire heirs in the media landscape.

Scott and his co-host analyze the implications of Sher Redstone's decision to halt merger discussions, highlighting the complex ownership structure of Paramount and the lack of serious institutional investors.

They mention potential bidders like Edgar Bronfman Jr. and David Ellison, noting the trend of billionaire heirs seeking control over media companies without a clear strategy.

The conversation touches on the challenges facing Paramount, including declining stock prices and the need for a strategic split of its assets to remain viable.

Scott expresses frustration with the ongoing drama surrounding billionaire families in the media industry, suggesting that serious investors are waiting for a more rational approach to emerge.

TLDR

Paramount's future is uncertain after failed merger talks, with billionaire heirs dominating the bidding landscape.

Episode

6:47
00:00:00
Scott we're back with our second big story the fate of Paramount is up in the air looks like sher's going to run it
00:00:04
herself after controlling shareholders Sher Redstone killed merger talks with Sky Dan earlier this week ending a
00:00:10
monthlong saga that keeps going on I know you know we've talked about whether it's important or not but it's very
00:00:15
interesting National amusements the Redstone family company that owns Paramount said the parties have not been
00:00:20
able to reach a deal noting they could not agree on outstanding non-economic terms Redstone is now reportedly looking
00:00:25
to pursue a separate sale of national M movements without trying to merge Paramount with another company I I I've
00:00:33
been trying to figure it out um there's a Sony deal Apollo deal that was sticking out there but it was the only
00:00:39
other one um there was a talk about a Paramount Warner Brothers merger there were all these plans to take CVS and
00:00:45
have Jeff zooker and Jeff shell run it that's gone um I don't know what to say I guess David zoff is probably calling
00:00:54
her I suppose um it's such a convoluted ownership structure and by the way media
00:00:59
investor Edgar bronfin Jr backed by Bane capital is reported looking to make a $2
00:01:04
billion offer for National amusements um Stephen Paul Hollywood producer stepen Paul is also lining up financing what do
00:01:12
you do if you're a Paramount shareholder is there anything to do that shares dropped 8% on Tuesday again I don't want
00:01:18
to make it I wish Paramount would develop be essentially really poorly trained or have a limp and that that the
00:01:26
governor of South Dakota would just take this thing and shoot it and bury it in a
00:01:29
gravel pet I am so sick of hearing about the neuroses of billionaires do you realize you know this is really an
00:01:36
interesting and disparaging statement on America the only people going after this
00:01:41
thing now are billionaire children Edgar brontman Jr Sher Redstone David Ellison
00:01:48
what do they all have in common they've all inherited billions that those are the three
00:01:53
players involved in this and then and then what did we Apollo and Sony well okay there but what did we predict
00:02:00
Apollo's just waiting for this dysfunction to to pan out have at it have at it billionaire weirdos and when
00:02:08
you're serious I had thought about that and when you're serious and realize this
00:02:13
these pretzel weird gymnastic unnatural act deals fall apart because they make no [ __ ] sense and they never did
00:02:20
we're here probably not at a price you like but we're here and you're right it's either going to go I don't know if
00:02:27
Warner can do it with their debt right now I I think well they they' brought it down quite a bit they brought it down
00:02:33
this is what's happened disciplined executive the company has been in play for 6 months when companies are in play
00:02:40
their stocks go up in the last six months Paramount Global's stock has gone down 34% because all this drama has
00:02:49
reflected is the controlling shareholder at Paramount is a billionaire child and the great thing
00:02:57
about dynasties is usually usually the kid [ __ ] it up and spends most of dad's
00:03:02
money and usually what's interesting is the grandkid looks up and says grandfather was a baller Grand dad was
00:03:07
an idiot and they make some of it back but this is the next generation of idiots blowing their parents' money
00:03:14
notice how no Institutional Investor is a serious bidder here yeah not yet they're waiting so and and again I'm
00:03:21
just kind of like I can we just fast forward to when this thing has put out of its misery so so let me ask you then
00:03:28
what is that what is the best answer here because there's some very valuable media no question split up give
00:03:35
the movie company to a to to Sony give the cable companies to a larger rollup that will cut costs instead of
00:03:41
pretending there's a future in cable just make Nana and po pop comfortable and cut cost faster than the business is
00:03:47
declining because it's still a good business it's still a profitable business it's just not growing and call
00:03:52
it a day H but Sherry my sense of Sherry is every time the bankers kind of convinced her this is the best deal she
00:03:59
you know hangs out with Theo's wife and decides she's getting a shitty deal after a few glasses of Chardonnay and
00:04:05
then blows the deal up I mean I would imagine every serious banker and every serious acquir is sort of like yeah
00:04:13
we're just kind of done here we can't get a deal done with these people oddly enough I was talking to a very
00:04:17
high-profile Banker who who is peripherally involved and this week and they're like this is all about personal
00:04:25
drama 100% playing out in a thing and it's like someone needs to get a therapist which Sherry had a very I like
00:04:32
Sherry um I've interviewed her several times but it's like she she can't run it herself she just isn't she just can't
00:04:39
they're going to leave and by the way so these trip these triple CEOs at least two of them I understand are going to
00:04:45
leave um they have a triple CEO situation in place um they're going to go it looks like you know they're going
00:04:51
to get out of Dodge and they're they're saddled with all kinds of things but in in there is all this valuable IP all
00:04:59
this really interesting IP um hit th hit shows lots of lots of Juicy bits here and it just to take the to watch this
00:05:08
company you know Paramount Pictures was Paramount [ __ ] pictures right yeah and you know there there are some very
00:05:16
Dynamic media companies still um this is not one of them and so I I just wonder it's so romantic the idea of buying it
00:05:24
but it's so like I don't if I don't understand a deal I was like you're going to buy what and sell what to what
00:05:30
what does this have to do with what's good for Paramount or what's good for CBS or whatever you know none of it has
00:05:37
anything to do with what's good for the business but whenever you're selling anything whether it's a football team or
00:05:43
a business you just really want to hope that the child of a billionaire or a kid
00:05:47
who inherited billions shows up again notice how the only three people bidding on this thing right now are billionaire
00:05:54
children yeah it's interesting I will say David Ellison's done a very good job as a movie producer made top very Shar
00:06:00
Guy Star Star Trek and um you know I was kind of like why do you need to be he wanted a little more power right and
00:06:06
this was a short trip to that presume for he thought it was a short trip to it but what a waste of his time go make
00:06:11
another movie David go make another hit movie you're good at it but look at this
00:06:14
is all ego billionaire kids are like I don't need money what do I want to do I want to go to the can film festival and
00:06:20
the Oscars and I like movies so I get to do that and the serious investors the serious investors are like you we'll
00:06:25
just sit this one out until they come to us and say they're willing to sell at a
00:06:29
it Mak sense for our limiteds we're you know we have we're cursed with being grown-ups and we don't have billionaire
00:06:35
parents so we need to act more rationally and a little bit more like see above grownups yeah absolutely
00:06:41
anyway we'll see

Episode Highlights

  • The Fate of Paramount
    The future of Paramount hangs in the balance as Sher Redstone takes control.
    “Sher Redstone killed merger talks, ending a monthlong saga.”
    @ 00m 06s
    June 14, 2024
  • Billionaire Drama
    The ongoing saga reveals the personal dramas of billionaire heirs.
    “This is all about personal drama 100% playing out in a thing.”
    @ 04m 25s
    June 14, 2024

Episode Quotes

  • I'm so sick of hearing about the neuroses of billionaires.
    Why Did Paramount Kill the Skydance Merger? | Pivot
  • The only people going after this thing now are billionaire children.
    Why Did Paramount Kill the Skydance Merger? | Pivot
  • It's so romantic the idea of buying it, but...
    Why Did Paramount Kill the Skydance Merger? | Pivot

Key Moments

  • Merger Talks End00:06
  • Billionaire Heirs01:41
  • Paramount's Future05:24

Tension Over Time

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