Skydance Media Explores Deal to Acquire Paramount Global

Potential Acquisition Could Result in Paramount Going Private Amid Shift to Streaming

David Ellison's Skydance Media, along with financial backers RedBird Capital and KKR, are exploring a deal to acquire National Amusements, the holding company that controls Paramount Global, with the intent of taking the media company private.
The deal is contingent on merging Skydance with Paramount, which would likely result in Paramount going private.
National Amusements controls 77% of Paramount's voting stock and is currently owned by Shari Redstone, who is reportedly considering selling as the media landscape shifts towards streaming.
Paramount Global, which owns MTV, Nickelodeon, and other assets, is currently valued at around $9 billion but also carries about $15 billion in debt.
Paramount Global is also reportedly preparing to lay off hundreds of employees across various divisions of the company.