WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Netflix is looking to simplify its plan to buy major parts of Warner Bros. Discovery, including the HBO Max streaming service and the Warner Bros. movie studio.
According to reports from CNBC and Bloomberg, Netflix may switch its current offer to a 100 percent cash payment instead of a mix of cash and stock.
The primary reason for this change is speed. When a company offers stock as part of a payment, it triggers a long process of complex accounting and financial reviews.
By offering only cash, Netflix could skip much of that paperwork, allowing WBD shareholders to vote on the deal as early as late February rather than waiting until the summer.
This move comes at a high-stakes moment. Another media competitor, Paramount, is aggressively trying to block the Netflix deal with its own takeover bid. Paramount has offered a higher price of $30 per share and has recently sued WBD to determine why it is still favoring the lower-priced Netflix offer.
With the backing of billionaire Larry Ellison, Paramount argues that its bid is better for shareholders because it encompasses all of WBD's businesses, including its traditional TV networks.
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