Larry Ellison will control a majority of Paramount’s shares

• Billionaire tech and media mogul Larry Ellison will control more than two-thirds of Hollywood giant Paramount and National Amusements.
• The deal, announced earlier this summer, will create a media company called the “New Paramount.”

OUR TAKE
If Larry Ellison controls more than two-thirds of the shares of these two companies, it will mean that he has considerable influence in the decisions of these companies. Such a merger may also face regulatory review and market competition challenges, and regulators may assess whether the combined company will lead to market monopoly or unfair competition.
— Iydia Ding, BTW reporter

What happened

Billionaire tech and media mogul Larry Ellison will control more than two-thirds of Hollywood giant Paramount and National Amusements, The group is in the midst of a massive merger with film-maker Skydance. Ellison, who reportedly put more than $6 billion into the deal, will control more than 77 percent of National Amusements, Bloomberg reported Thursday, citing a new filing with the Federal Communications Commission.

The deal, announced earlier this summer, will create a media company called the “New Paramount” as part of a merger valued at about $28 billion. Ellison is a software tycoon who became one of the richest men in the world after founding Oracle. He is known for his large investments in technology and media. He has also invested some of his wealth in social platform X and hosted fundraisers for former President Trump in previous election cycles.

Also read: Bronfman’s plans for Paramount Global include partnering with Amazon or Apple

Also read: Skydance outlines vision for Paramount as tech-media hybrid

Why it’s important

Paramount and National Amusements are two of the most influential companies in the film and entertainment industry. Paramount is one of Hollywood’s major film studios, while National Amusement is a conglomerate that owns multiple theater chains and film production companies. Mergers usually aim to create greater value by integrating resources, reducing costs, improving efficiency and enhancing market competitiveness, which is conducive to combining the content libraries and intellectual property of the two companies to create more diversified entertainment products.

However, such a merger may also face regulatory scrutiny and market competition challenges. Regulators are likely to assess whether the combined company would lead to market monopoly or unfair competition. In addition, the combined company will need to manage cultural differences, integrate different business processes and maintain good relationships with consumers and partners.