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- Zaslav finally gives up the ghost on David Ellison, Shumer essay and Seedance 2.0 ramp up AI panic, and Roku gets set to 'hit a wall'
Zaslav finally gives up the ghost on David Ellison, Shumer essay and Seedance 2.0 ramp up AI panic, and Roku gets set to 'hit a wall'
Also in our weekly look at all things technology, media and telecom, MAGA has major split on broadcast TV consolidation, and NBCU fights Peacock churn with super-aggressive promotion
Daniel Frankel & David Bloom
February 17, 2026
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Momentum ‘tilts toward Paramount’ as Warner board agrees to mull latest hostile counter offer
Famously ghosted by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav on that fateful early-December day when Netflix swooped in and seized the object of his desire, Paramount Skydance chief David Ellison has found himself back in play.
WBD has agreed to consider Paramount’s latest hostile counter-bid, Bloomberg reported. Warner’s board plans to meet soon and decide whether Par’s is a “superior offer” worth re-opening negotiations. No decision has been made to backtrack on Netflix’s agreed-upon $83 billion offer, but a general vibe is emerging among reporters close to the dealmaking that momentum is “tilting toward Paramount.” (Semafor’s words.)
While Warner’s board raised concerns about Ellison’s over-leveraged bid, doubt has crept in whether Netflix can gain the necessary regulatory traction in the very compromised U.S. Justice Department. Early vibes from both the president and Congress have not been encouraging.
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