Could Nickelodeon Be Offloaded Onto Cartoon Network In The Next Two Years??? Warner Bros. Discovery's CEO David Zaslav Seem To Hint At That Possibility

Nickelodeon is a children's channel that is operated by Paramount Global which is home to some of the most iconic characters including Garfield, SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Loud House alongside iCarly and Henry Danger.

During the week, it was reported that Warner Bros. Discovery was looking to become an acquirer in the next two years as the impact of strikes and write offs to fully developed productions saved them up a lot of money. They site NBCUniversal and also Paramount Global as possible candidates.

Both companies are heading for a loss before the end of this current financial period with their streaming endeavours. It is what led to delay of global rollouts to this streaming services as the latter are looking at potential partnerships with Peacock rolling out across Africa under the Showmax streaming service and likely Paramount+.

Although this sale isn't an official thing NBCUniversal was rumoured to have explored the possibility of merging with these brands but got rejected as the latter felt this merger would favour them. Paramount on the other was in negotiations a few years back with Netflix of a possible acquisition before talks got scrapped as the streamer was more invested in their studios than linear offering.

Warner Bros. Discovery from the looks of things doesn't expect these two companies to recover the lost income overtime and might look to declare bankruptcy if not sale I mean Paramount Global current CEO was open to the idea and had attempted that with BET before plans fell through.

How this affects Nickelodeon?

Not only does Nickelodeon provide content but they distribute a number of TV channels like NickMusic, TeenNick, Nicktoons, Nick Jr. and Nick@Nite. All of this will likely just shut down if a sale were to occur with content like Paw Patrol and SpongeBob SquarePants folded under Cartoon Network and Warner Bros. Animation.

Nickelodeon could continue to operate as a separate tier from Cartoon Network I mean it doesn't seem far fetched. Warner Bros. Discovery had made several attempts at building the live-action offering on Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon had conceived a number of successful shows including iCarly, Big Time Rush and Drake And Josh.

In this current climate where cable TV is being rendered obsolete one of these companies would have to give in and look into offloading assets if it gives them any chance of sustainability. 

Recap To Last Month: Free State To Get A Dedicated TV Channel On DStv

Last month, it was reported that MultiChoice would adding 1Free State TV currently viewed on StarSat to the DStv platform. From what we've uncovered, the channel would go live from 16 November on channel 264 sitting alongside GauTV, Tshwane TV and Mpuma Kapa TV.

At this stage, we haven't got word on a package but it would more likely be accessible to all DStv packages (including Easyview) and I say this as the latter seen above had all been folded under that package alongside various religious and local news channels.

Based in Bloemfontein, 1FSTV broadcasts a variety of programming including news, current affairs, entertainment, and educational shows. The channel is committed to promoting the culture and heritage of the Free State province, and to providing a platform for local voices to be heard.

Some of the programming to be offered include:

• 1FSTV News: A daily news program that covers the latest news and current affairs from the Free State and around the world.

• Meet Our Leaders: Pastors from different denominations to come to try to help each other through prayer and encouragement. The pastor discusses various issues affecting particular communities.

• Free State Today: A daily talk show that discusses a variety of topics relevant to the Free State, from politics and business to culture and entertainment.

• FS Vibes: Stay in the know about what is happening on the Free State calendar concerts, studio recordings, fashion, launches and music, with your host Khaya Matthews.

• Youth On The Move: Featuring youth who are making an impact or bringing changes in the society they live in, being entrepreneurs.

• Divas Avenue: A music show that plays only on Thursdays and covers all woman who are into music from local to international.

• Le Rona Rebatho: We follow the lives of people who have dwarfism disorder, Keorapetse Neo, Bokamosho Bukile Letshego, Thato Lydi, Tebu Tebu and Motlatsi 'dj little'. Providing insights into their daily lives, challenges and triumphs.

PRESS RELEASE: ONE FREESTATE TELEVISUAL LAUNCHES ON DSTV

One Freestate TV, a leading provider in high-quality entertainment, is thrilled to announce the launch of a 24-hour channel, which premiere on DStv channel 264 from Thursday, 16 November 2023 at 10:00 on all DStv Premium, Compact+, Compact, Family, Access and Easyview.

Our channel promises an immersive and engaging experience, providing viewers with access to the best in entertainment, education and information. Whether you're a sports enthusiast, a fan of local movies, a lover of music, adventures or a seeker of thought-provoking documentaries, One Freestate Televisual has something for everyone.

"We are excited to have One Freestate TV added to our platform expanding our local representation in the form of content from our regions within the country, and delivered in local languages," says Georginah Machiridza Executive Head Of General Entertainment Channels at MultiChoice Group. "The addition of another community TV station helps to ensure that we also play a part in actively disseminating information at a local scale that resonates with our audiences."

The exciting addition to the DStv line-up is set to captivate the audience with entertainment with its different range of programming delivered in Sesotho and English. We are dedicated to showcasing the richness and diversity of Free State, with a focus on local culture, innovation and community engagement.

"Our vision at One Freestate TV, has always been to become the essential source of content that brings distinctive and diverse talent, and create jobs to the community. We are proud to partner with DStv to bring this exciting channel to viewers across South Africa and beyond," says Mr. Paul Phitse: Founder and CEO of One Freestate Televisual.

The Fog Of Courage | Courage The Cowardly Dog | Cartoon Network

When Courage finds a mysterious amulet while digging through the yard, a Ghostly Fog covers the farm. Eustace, however, refuses to return the amulet that apparently belongs to the Fog Ghost's long lost love, Cariana. Now Courage must protect his family from the vengeful fog spirit.

Rude Removal | Dexter's Laboratory | Cartoon Network

 

"Rude Removal" is a cartoon episode originally produced in 1997 for the animated television series Dexter's Laboratory for Cartoon Network. It was intended to air as part of the second season, but was left unaired due to the characters swearing even though the swear words were censored. 

Warner Bros. Discovery Looking To Acquire Assets Of Companies Flirting With Or For Filing For Bankruptcy, Hints At The Demise Of Paramount Global And NBCUniversal

Chief Executive David Zaslav and board member John Malone both made comments this week suggesting the company is paying down debt and building up free cash flow to set up acquisitions in the next two years of media businesses suffering from diminished valuations.

The targets could be companies flirting with or filing for bankruptcy, Malone said in an exclusive interview with CNBC on Thursday. While U.S. regulators may frown at large media companies coming together because of overlaps with studio, cable or broadcasting assets, they'll be much more forgiving if the companies are struggling to survive, Malone told David Faber.

"I think we're going to see very serious distress in our industry," Malone said. "There is an exemption to the antitrust laws on a failing business. At some point of distress, right, then some of the restrictions, they look the other way."

Media company valuations have been plummeting amid streaming video losses, traditional TV subscriber defections, and a down advertising market. This has affected Warner Bros. Discovery as much as its peers. The company's market valuation recently fell below $23 billion, its lowest point since WarnerMedia and Discovery merged last year. The company ended the third quarter with about $43 billion in net debt.

Warner Bros. Discovery is trying to position itself to be an acquirer, rather than a distressed asset, itself, by paying down debt and increasing cash flow, Zaslav said during his company's earnings conference call this week. Warner Bros. Discovery has paid down $12 billion and expects to generate at least $5 billion in free cash flow this year, the company said.

"We're surrounded by a lot of companies that are – don't have the geographic diversity that we have, aren't generating real free cash flow, have debt that are presenting issues," Zaslav said Thursday. "We're de-levering at a time when our peers are levering up, at a time when our peers are unstable, and there is a lot of excess competitive – excess players in the market. So, this will give us a chance not only to fight to grow in the next year, but to have the kind of balance sheet and the kind of stability ... that we could be really opportunistic over the next 12 to 24 months."

Still, Warner Bros. Discovery also acknowledged it will miss its own year-end leverage target of 2.5 to 3 times adjusted earnings as the TV ad market struggles and linear TV subscription revenue declines.

Buying from distress

Malone has some experience with profiting from times of distress.

His Liberty Media acquired a 40% stake in Sirius XM over several years more than a decade ago, saving it from bankruptcy. Since then, the equity value of the satellite radio company has bounced back from nearly zero to about $5 per share. Sirius XM currently has a market capitalization of about $18 billion.

"It made us a lot of money with Sirius," Malone told Faber.

While Malone didn't name a specific company as a target for Warner Bros. Discovery, he discussed Paramount Global as an example of a company whose prospects seem shaky. Paramount Global's market valuation has slumped below $8 billion while carrying about $16 billion in debt.

Malone noted that Paramount's debt was recently downgraded. "I think that they're running probably negative free cash flow," he said.

Paramount Global's third-quarter cash flow was $377 million, and the company has forecast a return to positive free cash flow in 2024.

While Paramount Global shares have fallen precipitously since Viacom and CBS merged in 2019, there are signs the company is shoring up its balance sheet. CEO Bob Bakish said earlier this month Paramount Global's streaming losses will be lower in 2023 than 2022, and the company expects further improvement to losses in 2024. The company closed a sale for book publisher Simon & Schuster for $1.6 billion and will use the proceeds to pay down debt.

Paramount Global is one of the few assets that logically fits Malone's vision of a media asset that would have regulatory issues as an acquisition with potential distress concerns. Comcast's NBCUniversal, another potential merger partner, will lose more than $2 billion this year on its streaming service, Peacock, but the media giant is shielded by its parent company, the largest U.S. broadband provider.

"Warner Bros. [Discovery] now is making money. Not a lot, but they're making money," Malone said. "Peacock is losing a lot of money. Paramount is losing a ton of money that they can't afford. At least [Comcast CEO] Brian [Roberts] can afford to lose the money."

Paramount Global's controlling shareholder Shari Redstone is open to a transformative transaction, CNBC reported last month. Puck's Dylan Byers recently reported that industry insiders have speculated Warner Bros. Discovery might pursue an acquisition of Paramount Global after the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

A combination of NBCUniversal and Paramount Global also has strategic logic, but the combination of two national broadcast networks — Comcast's NBC and Paramount Global's CBS — would present a significant regulatory hurdle. Warner Bros. Discovery doesn't own a broadcast network, making an acquisition of CBS easier.

Spokespeople for Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery declined to comment.

While Malone said all legacy media companies should be talking to each other about merger synergies, he acknowledged valuations may have to fall farther to get regulators on board with further consolidation. Malone predicted that could happen in the same timeline Zaslav gave — within the next two years.

"Eventually maybe there'll be regulatory relief," Malone said. "Out of distress usually comes the reduction in competition, increased pricing power, and the opportunity to buy assets at a deep discount."