Paramount Skydance Acknowledges Announcement From Warner Bros. Discovery, Acting With Netflix, Have Decided To Provide Paramount A 7-Day "Waiver" For Negotiation; Board Also Elected To Proceed With Convening Its Special Shareholder Meeting On Marc...
Paramount Skydance PSKY | 11.81 | +1.20% |
Warner Bros Discovery WBD | 27.25 | +0.20% |
Paramount Skydance Corporation (NASDAQ:PSKY) ("Paramount") today provided the following statement in regards to disclosures by Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD) ("WBD"):
Paramount acknowledges the announcement from Warner Bros. Discovery that, acting with Netflix, they have decided to provide Paramount a 7-day "waiver" for negotiation. In doing so, the WBD Board has chosen to avoid making the customary determination under the Netflix merger agreement that Paramount's superior $30 per share all-cash offer "could reasonably be expected to result in" a superior proposal, which would have given it an unfettered right to negotiate without a time deadline.
The Board has also elected to proceed with convening its special shareholder meeting on March 20 to seek approval of the Netflix merger and has commenced mailing its proxy materials, which state that the range of merger consideration offered to WBD shareholders will be a minimum of $21.23 to a maximum of $27.75.
By contrast, Paramount already offers a higher value of $30 per share, all-cash and a more expeditious and certain path to closing a transaction, including with the previously disclosed addition of a $0.25 per-share, per-quarter ticking fee.
Although the Board's actions are unusual, Paramount is nonetheless prepared to engage in good faith and constructive discussions. At the same time, we will continue to advance our tender offer, maintain our solicitation in opposition to the inferior Netflix merger, and proceed with our intention to nominate a slate of directors at the upcoming WBD annual meeting.
