Paramount Global’s (PARA) future remains uncertain as the media giant faces potential ownership changes and ongoing financial challenges. Recent developments have seen billionaire Barry Diller’s IAC explore a bid to take control of the company, while previous merger talks with Skydance Media fell through. These events come when Paramount’s stock performance struggles amid a competitive streaming landscape.

IAC Explores Paramount Bid, Streaming Partnerships Considered

Billionaire Barry Diller’s digital media conglomerate IAC has reportedly entered into non-disclosure agreements with National Amusements, which holds the Redstone family’s controlling interest in Paramount Global.

This move comes as IAC explores a potential bid to take control of the media giant. The development follows Shari Redstone’s abrupt termination of talks with Skydance Media last month, which has left Paramount’s future ownership in question.Amid these ownership discussions, Paramount is reportedly holding talks with other media and tech companies about potential streaming partnerships. Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has expressed interest in a joint venture to merge its Max platform with Paramount+, though the ownership structure of such a merger would likely not be an even split.

Skydance Deal Collapse and its Aftermath

The collapse of the Skydance deal sent shockwaves through Paramount’s board and frustrated employees and investors. Shari Redstone, the controlling shareholder, had initially brought the deal to Paramount months earlier, but it persisted despite opposition from management and other shareholders. The contentious nature of the proposed merger led to the resignation of four board members and the dismissal of Paramount’s CEO, who had been skeptical of the deal.

Redstone’s last-minute decision to leave the Skydance merger came just as the special committee was prepared to approve it. Factors influencing her decision included a reduced offer from Skydance for National Amusements, a strained relationship with Skydance’s David Ellison, the threat of shareholder litigation, and reluctance to relinquish her family’s media legacy.

The news of the deal’s collapse caused Paramount’s shares to drop by approximately 8%.

As these ownership and partnership discussions continue, Paramount Global’s stock has shown mixed performance. In pre-market trading, the stock was up 4.04% to $10.55, following a close of $10.14.

However, the company’s year-to-date return of -30.81% significantly underperforms the S&P 500 by 45.60%. With a market capitalization of $7.075 billion and an enterprise value of $20.50 billion, Paramount faces ongoing financial challenges, including a negative EPS of -$1.13 and a net loss of $742 million over the trailing twelve months.

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