Sony Pictures and private equity firm Apollo Global Management have teamed up to table a $26 billion offer for Paramount Global.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Sony Pictures CEO Tony Vinciquerra and Aaron Sobel, a partner at Apollo, submitted an offer letter detailing an all-cash, $26 billion bid for Paramount Global. It is seen as a starting point for negotiations and is non-binding.
Under the proposed deal, Sony would become the majority shareholder in Paramount while Apollo would hold a minority stake under the new deal, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Last month, Skydance Media reached a tentative agreement last month to acquire Shari Redstone’s controlling stake in Paramount. That deal expired last week, allowing Paramount and Redstone to consider other offers.
Paramount will continue negotiations with Skydance while also talking with Sony and Pollo, the New York Times reported, citing three unnamed sources.
Skydance is run by David Ellison, son of Larry Ellison, co-founder and then-CEO of the Oracle Corporation.
Bob Bakish stepped down as Paramount’s chief executive last week, after reportedly opposing the company’s proposed merger with Skydance.
Paramount Global is the parent company of movie studio Paramount Picture, broadcasting network CBS, as well as brands including Showtime, MTV, Comedy Central and Smithsonian, and streamer Paramount+.
You are not signed in
Only registered users can comment on this article.
Upcoming webinar: Beating the clock on live piracy dynamics
Join IBC365 and Verimatrix at the Attack Vectors, Scale, and the Race for Real-Time Response webinar on 29 July 2026 to discover the latest techniques propelling preventive, real-time strategies against modern piracy.
24 million watch England's World Cup defeat
A peak audience of 24 million watched as Argentina knocked out England in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday night (July 15) across BBC One and BBC iPlayer, giving the BBC an 85% share of all TV viewing.
Disney+ expands to 58 languages in localisation push
Disney+ expands to 58 languages in localisation push Streaming platform Disney+ is rolling out support for 17 additional languages, bringing its total to 58 audio languages.
Jeremy Clarkson and BBC’s Matt Brittin join RTS London Convention line-up
The Royal Television Society (RTS) has announced a raft of high-profile speakers for its biennial RTS London Convention 2026, which takes place on September 26.
12 US states to block Paramount’s Warner Bros Discovery deal
The Writers Guild of America and a coalition of US states have both filed major antitrust lawsuits to challenge Paramount Skydance’s planned acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).
