Paramount Looking To Increase Its Bid For Warner Bros. Discovery To $71 Billion

David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance is said to be turning to new partners in the Middle East to help back his offer to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in its entirety.

Paramount Skydance has formed an investment consortium with the sovereign wealth funds of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi to submit a bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, sources told Variety. The bid is being largely backed by the Ellison family (which owns 100% voting control in Paramount Skydance) with involvement from three Arab countries: Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), the sources said. In addition, Gerry Cardinale’s RedBird Capital is backing the bid.

Each of the funds would put up $7 billion (for a total of $21 billion); Paramount Skydance would front $50 billion for a proposed WBD acquisition for a total of $71 billion. (It’s not clear if that price tag would be inclusive of debt.) The board of Warner Bros. Discovery had previously rejected a $23.50/share offer from David Ellison.

The board of Warner Bros. Discovery has set a Nov. 20 deadline for initial bids from interested acquirers, which also include Comcast and Netflix.

Separately Tuesday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was meeting at the White House with President Trump.

Meanwhile, Comcast co-CEO Brian Roberts traveled to Saudi Arabia in late October to attend a conference in Riyadh hosted by the PIF, Variety has confirmed. He also visited Qiddiya, where the country is building a theme park destination, to scope out the area for a possible Universal park in the area. But it’s not known whether Roberts solicited investment backing from the Saudis for a Warner Bros. bid by Comcast.

Reps for Paramount Skydance, Warner Bros. Discovery and Comcast declined to comment.

Under the scenario in the WBD bid led by Paramount Skydance, the Saudi, Qatar and Abu Dhabi funds would hold small minority stakes in Warner Bros. Discovery. Each of the three would get “an IP, a movie premiere, a movie shoot,” a knowledgeable source told Variety. “All they care about is reputation and soft power,” the source added.

The Saudis do not have “any incentive” to join a prospective Comcast bid for Warner Bros. (excluding WBD’s linear TV networks) because their understanding is that “the Trump administration doesn’t like Comcast CEO Brian Roberts at all,” the source said.

Trump, who has regularly been upset about the coverage of Comcast-owned MSNBC (which is now called MS NOW), earlier this year called Roberts the “chairman of ‘Concast’” and a “lowlife.” Trump has equated the cable news outlet to “an illegal arm of the Democrat Party,” and claimed that Comcast “should be forced to pay vast sums of money for the damage they’ve done to our Country.”

Saudis Reportedly Eyeing Warner Bros. Discovery With Comcast

The Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia – reportedly worth upwards of a trillion dollars – may be entering the fray for a potential takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), and it may be teaming up with Comcast Corporation.

Comcast CEO Brian Roberts recently traveled to Saudi Arabia, where he held meetings with PIF officials while exploring a WBD bid.

According to The New York Post and Puck News, Roberts also visited Qiddiya, the site of Saudi Arabia’s upcoming “megacity of play” where a Universal‑branded theme park is expected in partnership with Comcast’s theme‑park business.

Why the Saudis Are Interested: Studios, Streaming & Theme Parks

The Saudi connection makes strategic sense. The PIF may want the Warner Bros./DC brand as the anchor for a Universal Studios park in Qiddiya, pairing with Comcast’s existing theme‑park infrastructure.

A Saudi–Comcast alliance would thus bring global content, streaming/IP rights, and a real‑world destination into one package.

Meanwhile, WBD is already positioned for sale: the company plans to split into two public entities — one focused exclusively on studios and streaming (Warner Bros.), and the other on linear networks (Discovery Global) — by mid‑2026.

Fewer Regulatory Hurdles Thanks to Spinoffs

Regulatory concerns that typically plague big media mergers may be reduced in this case.

Comcast is spinning off its U.S. cable networks and related news assets into a new publicly traded company called Versant Media Group Inc., which will leave Comcast primarily with its theme‑park, streaming, and studio assets.

At the same time, WBD’s planned split isolates the studio/streaming business from its legacy cable networks, making the part that potential buyers want cleaner and more streamlined.

What It Means for the WBD Sale Race

If a Saudi–Comcast bid materializes, it could throw a new wrinkle into the running, which already includes Paramount Global/Skydance (led by David Ellison) and streaming players like Netflix.

The presence of Saudi backing adds serious firepower and global ambition. With WBD stock already rising past $20 and Zaslav aiming for far more, a new bidder like this could accelerate or reshape the bidding war.

The article was originally published by Cosmic Book News

December 2025 On Disney Channel Across South Africa | Channel Premiere: Diary Of A Wimpy Kid - Christmas Fever | Returning Shows Including Electric Bloom | More

Phineas And Ferb S5 - New Episodes 

Starts 3 December 

Monday to Friday at 16:30 CAT

Phineas and Ferb are back, and Candice is determined to BUST them while their pet platypus, Perry works to thwart Dr. Doofenshmirtz.

Electric Bloom S1 - New Episodes 

Starts 15 December

Monday to Thursday at 17:00 CAT 

The show follows the three members of the now mega-famous pop group, Electric Bloom, as they look back and tell the story of their band and friendship, starting with the day they all met in high school. The girls go on a journey to becoming the biggest band in the world and the best friends in the universe.

Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir S6 - New Episodes 

Starts 15 December

Monday to Friday at 16:05 CAT

Marinette and Adrien have never been so close but they're still keeping their superhero identities secret from each other. Marinette is also hiding the truth that Adrien's father was a former supervillain! Meanwhile Ladybug and Cat Noir must face a mysterious and elusive new enemy out to steal their Miraculous and cause chaos in Paris.

Movie Mayhem

Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Christmas Fever - Premiere 

Airs 5 December at 17:00 CAT

A hilarious and heartfelt holiday tale centered around everyone’s favorite disaster-prone middle school student. Greg Heffley fights to stay off Santa's naughty list as his family prepares for a major snowstorm.

Miraculous World Tokyo: Stellar Force

Airs 12 December at 17:00 CAT

Old allies reunite and courageous new heroes emerge when Marinette and Kagami team up in Tokyo to confront Moddler, a mysterious villain turning innocent civilians into monstrous kaiju.

Prep & Landing: The Snowball Protocol 

Airs 19 December at 17:00 CAT

When their holiday missions go awry, Wayne thinks he is in BIG trouble with Santa, which opens a vault of merry mishaps from the past.

Frozen

Airs 26 December at 17:00 CAT

Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom.

Could Play Room Expand To More African Markets Perhaps In Place Of Nicktoons?

Play Room, a South African based children's channel operated by Ngwato Nkosi Group offering a mixture animated and live action shows. Unlike Newzroom Afrika and Movie Room which are available across Sub-Saharan Africa, Play Room is confined to South Africa.

Not long ago, Canal+ had finalized it's acquisition of MultiChoice and expressed the notion of telling Africa's story to the world. They have been distributing regional brands like Africa Magic Hausa and Yoruba to Canal+ Afrique subscribers, these channels were exclusive to DStv.

Nicktoons which serves as a contender to Play Room had also ramped up its local offering with Nick In Your Language and NickMusic. As seen with MTV Base and BET come December 2025, those are likely to be shuttered and Nicktoons faces the possibility of audience fragmentation.

In recent years, MultiChoice had widened the reach of Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. to its DStv Family and Compact consumers making Nicktoons obsolete. SpongeBob's Zulu accent and the house vibes on NickMusic is what attracted viewers to the network. 

Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and Nicktoons form part of the Pan-European group but only Nicktoons comes with a local variation while the rest aligns with other regions. Even if Nicktoons were to close, it's less likely that Nickelodeon would distribute this content.

Play Room serving as a contender with its own lineup of content can bolster the lineup for consumers in these markets.

Discovery's Gold Rush: New Season, Unprecedented Stakes

With gold prices skyrocketing to an unprecedented $3,903 an ounce, the stakes have never been higher in Discovery’s hit series Gold Rush. This season, top bosses and rising underdogs collide in a high-octane race to claim new ground, move more dirt, and strike it rich. Channelling the spirit of America’s original gold rush, loyalties are tested, tensions run high, and fortunes hang in the balance. By the end of the season, the miners’ combined haul will near $100 million, marking the biggest payday in Gold Rush history.  

 

After the most disappointing season of his career, mining mogul Parker Schnabel is determined to reclaim his throne. Scaling up to a massive operation with over 60 machines, four wash plants, and a bold new team structure, Parker is burning through more than $100,000 a day in operating costs. If his gamble pays off, he could achieve the most lucrative season of his 15-year career.

 

Fresh off a record-breaking season, ‘King of the Klondike’ Tony Beets is chasing an even bigger goal this year. An early strike delivers $500,000 in just one week, but rising family turmoil and a record number of crew firings threaten to derail his empire. Meanwhile, eldest son and second-year mine boss Kevin Beets is determined to double last season’s gold total and prove he’s ready to lead his own operation.

 

After hitting the jackpot last season, Rick Ness faces a steep uphill battle this year. With no water license, no claim, and only half his crew, he takes a bold gamble on new ground for a shot at redemption. With mounting pressure, dwindling resources, and a skeleton team, every decision could make - or break - his fortunes, leaving millions on the table.

 

Don’t miss the high-stakes action and record-breaking fortunes. Catch the new season of Gold Rush on Monday, 17 November at 20:05 CAT on Discovery Channel (DStv 121).