From 'Harry Potter' to HBO: Here’s What Paramount Could Control After Warner Bros. Discovery Deal

Published 02/26/2026, 9:58 PM EST

Paramount Skydance prepares to seize control over one of the top entertainment empires which exists in Hollywood with a transformative deal poised to disrupt current industry power dynamics. The merger would bring together two major legacy studios when Paramount's $31-per-share offer became the better option after Netflix abandoned its acquisition attempt of Warner Bros. Discovery. The combined entity will operate as a single entertainment giant which controls an extensive collection of classic content, popular franchises and international media networks.

From Batman action figures to major channels, the merger could earn Paramount a bottomless pit of resources to stifle competition.

How Paramount’s asset list would expand with Warner Bros. Discovery

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Paramount stands to gain an enormous collection of assets through its potential acquisition. It will establish itself as the most comprehensive content producer worldwide through its combined assets, which will create a single platform that contains popular film franchises, premium cable channels, news networks, and children's shows. The acquisition will include Warner Bros. Pictures, HBO, and HBO Max. It would bring in the DC superhero content, plus all of Paramount's existing popular brands which include Paramount+, CBS, MTV, Cartoon Network, Showtime, Adult Swim, Comedy Central, and Nickelodeon.

Paramount would also gain control over an unrivaled news and entertainment ecosystem, which includes CNN, TBS, TNT, TCM, and Discovery networks, as well as a content library that contains everything from Harry Potter to Game of Thrones. They would obtain extensive movie and television production resources through this merger, which includes streaming platforms and television networks, to establish itself as a major competitor against Netflix and Disney for viewers and advertising revenue.

Some of the cult classics that Paramount could have a monopoly over include Tom & Jerry, Trek, Looney Tunes, Beetlejuice, Citizen Kane, Transformers, Mission Impossible, A Quiet Place, The Conjuring, The Lord of the Rings, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, among many others. Once the two legacy studios merge into a powerhouse, Paramount would be controlling 25% of US TV viewership, which has raised antitrust scrutiny from regulators over stifled competition in streaming and film. However, the deal must go on.

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The entertainment industry monitors closely as the mega-merger proposal can lead to alterations in the entertainment industry; however, Warner Bros.' heavy debt is the driving force behind this change.

Why is Warner Bros. Discovery up for sale?

For several decades, an onslaught of failed mergers has built a bottomless well of debt for Warner Bros. Seeking a new merger, the legacy studio is perhaps trying to cover for its loss of millions. WBD has carried approximately $33.5 billion in debt since 2025, thanks to a burdensome failed 2022 merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery.  

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Warner Bros. Discovery began its sale process after its executives and shareholders started to look for strategic options because the company faced financial challenges and a decrease in traditional television operations. The bidding war between Paramount Skydance and Netflix resulted in a higher cash bid, which made the company explore selling its business as a way to create value for shareholders. The board decided to examine Paramount's new proposal because it had the potential to become a better option, which would enable the company to acquire new assets and transform the media market.

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What do you think about Paramount's monopoly? Let us know in the comments

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Ipshita Chakraborty

651 articles

Ipshita Chakraborty is an entertainment writer at Netflix Junkie. Offering thoughtful and compelling storytelling, they cover everything Hollywood and trending, from the latest streaming sensations to behind-the-scenes buzz. With about 7 years of writing experience for online media, Ipshita brings their voice to the coverage through industry analysis and cultural critique, a strength evident in prior work, such as their views on why the Michaela gender swap was needed in Bridgerton.

Edited By: Aliza Siddiqui

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