Overview
- Diller approached Warner Bros. Discovery last year about buying CNN, making repeated informal inquiries that never reached the board.
- WBD reiterated that CNN was not and is not for sale, describing the network as vital to Discovery Global and to lucrative carriage agreements.
- Company disclosures project CNN to generate roughly $1.8 billion in revenue and about $600 million in profit in 2026.
- People familiar with the matter said a standalone sale of CNN could carry unfavorable tax consequences for WBD.
- The revelation surfaces as WBD moves to spin off Discovery Global and sell its studio and streaming businesses to Netflix, a plan challenged by Paramount’s hostile bid and proxy push.