Two major M&A narratives have their grip on Hollywood — and they’re rife with more drama, hubris and crazy twists than anything Taylor Sheridan could dream up. Consider this week’s developments on the Paramount-Warner deal and the Wasserman sale, with Team Ankler bringing scoops and keen analysis on the daily:
The “objectively insane” price Casey Wasserman is seeking for his agency — now dubbed The Team — as Ashley Cullins revealed, and what his long game might actually be:
Analysts’ harsh view of the Paramount-WBD deal, with insiders warning Claire Atkinson that $79 billion in debt and shaky financing, including Mideast money, could derail history’s largest test of legacy media:
Speaking of the Mideast, Manori Ravindran reports on the biggest merger in entertainment industry history under threat as the war begins to break the regional ATM Hollywood has come to rely on:
California AG Rob Bonta puts the mega-merger in his sights, Paramount chief legal officer Makan Delrahim continues to press his case, and Teamsters leader Lindsay Dougherty tells Elaine Low what labor is watching for as the deal moves toward approval:
Meanwhile, Disney’s own drama last week involved cancellation of The Bachelorette starring Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Taylor Frankie Paul (Elaine will have more on that tomorrow); this following Hulu yanking its big Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot. Lesley Goldberg’s behind-the-scenes dish on Buffy’s slaying became our biggest story of the week:
Lesley also closed out the week by revealing the big winners (and who got layered) in Disney’s new TV org under Dana Walden:
Lastly, Ankler Media is heading back to Vegas, baby! We’re curating a Business of Media and Entertainment track at NAB Show, April 18-22, with a focus on the future of entertainment:
Our first set of announced programming features Iron Lung filmmaker and top YouTuber Mark Fischbach (aka Markiplier), screenwriter Akela Cooper (M3GAN, Malignant), microdrama superstar Kasey Esser and more. Ankler subscribers can get $60 off a floor pass with code ANKLER26. Click HERE to register, and stay tuned for other big news of who’s speaking.
Now, ICYMI, the rest of our best of the week:
Rushfield: Oscar Photo Album
Richard sounded a particular alarm everyone should heed:
His behind-the-scenes photos are a fun who’s who in entertainment — even if the awards happened at an unusually fraught moment:
Prestige Junkie: Oscar Debrief
After a long, chaotic run-up, the Oscars have come and gone. Katey Rich jots down her takeaways — from the second major studio victory in three years to just how little the Golden Globes matter:
The Wakeup: Netflix Spending Spree
Over the course of two days, Netflix announced three new scripted TV series and two new movies. Sean McNulty lays out the announcements — and what they signal for the streamer’s current spending habits:
🎧 PODCASTS
ANKLER AGENDA
Sean, Elaine and Natalie Jarvey build a bracket to crown the most valuable Warnermount cable asset. Welcome to March Sadness:
📱 LIKE & SUBSCRIBE BY NATALIE JARVEY
👓 THE OPTIONIST BY ANDY LEWIS
FINAL HOUSEKEEPING!
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