Paramount Skydance (PSKY) has reportedly made enhancements to its bid for Warner Bros. Discovery Inc, competing with Netflix (NFLX). Paramount said in a statement on Tuesday it will cover the $2.8 billion termination fee that Warner Bros. will have to pay to Netflix if it ends the already agreed-upon deal with the streaming giant. It will also backstop a Warner Bros. debt refinancing and pay $1.5 billion in fees associated with that, if necessary.
Paramount noted that its offer remains fully financed, including $43.6 billion in equity commitments from the Ellison Family and RedBird Capital Partners, $54 billion in debt commitments from Bank of America, Citigroup, and Apollo, and a personal guarantee from Larry Ellison covering $43.3 billion in equity financing.
“The additional benefits of our superior $30 per share, all-cash offer clearly underscore our strong and unwavering commitment to delivering the full value WBD shareholders deserve for their investment,” Paramount CEO Ellison said in a statement. “We are making meaningful enhancements – backing this offer with billions of dollars, providing shareholders with certainty in value, a clear regulatory path, and protection against market volatility.”
PSKY stock climbed 2% higher on Tuesday, while NFLX stock rose a fraction of a percent. Warner Bros. said in a statement it will review the amended tender offer from Paramount Skydance and make a recommendation to shareholders afterward. Previously, Warner Bros has backed Netflix’s offer, but Paramount remains adamant that they can get a deal done. Whichever company comes out on top of the Warner Bros Discovery sweepstakes, a stock rally is very likely.