NEW YORK: Warner Brothers Discovery shares slid more than 5 percent Wednesday after reports emerged that the media and entertainment giant is exploring a merger with rival Paramount Global.
Warner Brothers Discovery chief executive David Zaslav met with Paramount Global boss Bob Bakish for several hours to discuss the possibility of merging the companies, Axios reported, citing unnamed sources.
The talks — which took place on Tuesday in New York — were described as preliminary, with the outcome uncertain.
Zaslav has also spoken with Shari Redstone, who owns Paramount’s parent company, about the potential for a deal, Axios reported.
Warner Brothers Discovery brands include CNN, HBO, and its eponymous film studios, while Paramount’s properties include its movie studios of the same name and the CBS broadcasting group.
Zaslav and Bakish discussed ways the companies could build on one another’s strengths, such as by combining their streaming services to better compete with Netflix and Disney+, the report said.
Warner Brothers Discovery had a market value of about $28.4 billion based on its closing share price Wednesday — more than double the roughly $10.3 billion valuation of Paramount Global based on its closing share price.
Warner has hired bankers to explore an acquisition, Axios reported.
A merger of that size could spark further consolidation in the media industry and draw intense scrutiny by US regulators.
Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount explores merger: report
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Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount explores merger: report
- A possible deal remains uncertain and will likley attract scrutiny by US regulators
Paris exhibition marks 200 years of Le Figaro and the enduring power of the press
- The exhibition celebrated the bicentennial of Le Figaro, offering visitors a rare opportunity to step inside the newspaper’s vast historical archive
PARIS: One of France’s most influential newspapers marked a major milestone this month with a landmark exhibition beneath the soaring glass nave of the Grand Palais, tracing two centuries of journalism, literature and political debate.
Titled 1826–2026: 200 years of freedom, the exhibition celebrated the bicentennial of Le Figaro, offering visitors a rare opportunity to step inside the newspaper’s vast historical archive. Held over three days in mid-January, the free exhibition drew large crowds eager to explore how the title has both chronicled and shaped modern French history.
More than 300 original items were displayed, including historic front pages, photographs, illustrations and handwritten manuscripts. Together, they charted Le Figaro’s evolution from a 19th-century satirical publication into a leading national daily, reflecting eras of revolution, war, cultural change and technological disruption.
The exhibition unfolded across a series of thematic spaces, guiding visitors through defining moments in the paper’s past — from its literary golden age to its role in political debate and its transition into the digital era. Particular attention was paid to the newspaper’s long association with prominent writers and intellectuals, underscoring the close relationship between journalism and cultural life in France.
Beyond the displays, the program extended into live journalism. Public editorial meetings, panel discussions and film screenings invited audiences to engage directly with editors, writers and media figures, turning the exhibition into a forum for debate about the future of the press and freedom of expression.
Hosted at the Grand Palais, the setting itself reinforced the exhibition’s ambition: to place journalism firmly within the country’s cultural heritage. While the exhibition has now concluded, the bicentennial celebrations continue through special publications and broadcasts, reaffirming Le Figaro’s place in France’s public life — and the enduring relevance of a free and questioning press in an age of rapid change.
