• Loading stock data...
Thursday, October 30, 2025
Want a chance to win $250 and free FOS gear? Take our quick reader survey. Take the survey here

Paramount-WBD Merger Would Create Sports Superpower

Paramount Skydance, backed by the Ellison family, is reportedly “preparing a majority cash bid” to buy Warner Bros. Discovery,

Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The combined entities of CBS and TNT Sports would have an enormous treasure trove of live rights if their parent companies are ultimately combined.

The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Paramount Skydance is “preparing a majority cash bid” to buy Warner Bros. Discovery. Paramount owns CBS. WBD had been planning to separate its studio and streaming assets from its linear cable networks (TNT, TBS, CNN, and more). The bid, backed by the Ellison family, would reportedly encompass the full WBD company. 

Paramount is operated by David Ellison, the son of Oracle founder Larry Ellison. With Oracle’s stock gains this week, the elder Ellison surpassed Elon Musk as the richest businessperson in the world, with a net worth of around $400 billion, before Musk reclaimed his spot at the top. (Front Office Sports’s primary investor is RedBird IMI, a division of RedBird Capital, which is an investor in Paramount.)

If a merger between Paramount and WBD eventually closed, their combined sports offerings would rival and perhaps even surpass ESPN for the most comprehensive collection in the industry. 

Paramount and CBS have rights to the NFL, The Masters, PGA Championship, PGA Tour, Big Ten football and basketball, Champions League, and, as of next year, every UFC event. TNT has MLB rights that include two full playoff rounds, half of national NHL games (split with ESPN), some Big 12 football and basketball (sublicensed from ESPN), and College Football Playoff games (also sublicensed from ESPN, with an expansion happening next year). It also has packages in NASCAR, Unrivaled, the French Open, Big East basketball, and AEW. 

Significantly, Paramount and WBD also share the full rights to the men’s basketball NCAA tournament. 

The combined entities would have distribution on broadcast (via CBS), cable, and streaming (via HBO Max and Paramount+). They would essentially control or at least have their hands in all relevant American sports besides the NBA and SEC. 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Oct 4, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) takes hits from UCLA Bruins linebacker Jalen Woods (9) and defensive back Rodrick Pleasant (18) during the fourth quarter at Rose Bowl.

Rose Bowl Lawsuit Claims UCLA Tried to Move Games to SoFi Stadium

UCLA has called the Rose Bowl home since the early 1980s.

SEC-Led College Football TV Ratings Are Still Up 4% Through Week 9

The average game audience this season is 1.95 million viewers.

ESPN Says No Issues With Its Handling of NBA Gambling Scandal

Viewership for every ESPN studio show was “up significantly.”
Oct 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Mark Walter looks on in the eighth inning between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers during game five of the 2025 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium.

NBA Approves Mark Walter As New Lakers Owner

Walter has turned the Dodgers into a powerhouse.

Featured Today

September 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium

NFL Fall Meeting: 7 Big Topics Among Team Owners 

Media, facilities, and labor highlight some of the key areas of concern.
Ohio State Buckeyes running back Isaiah West (32) runs the ball in the second half at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin
October 25, 2025

NIL Has Birthed a Third-Party Cottage Industry—and It’s a Mess

There’s no limit to how much players can make from NIL deals.
Christie's
October 21, 2025

Lou Gehrig’s $4M Jersey and the Exploding Sports Memorabilia Market

An ultra-rare sports collection is about to hit the auction block.
@chef__tezz/Instagram
October 19, 2025

Inside the NFL’s Private Chef Network

Private chefs are the unsung architects of player performance.

NBA Season Opens With Best Ratings in 8 Years Despite Off-Court Scandals

It’s the first year of the NBA’s 11-year, $77 billion media deal.
Oct 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Toronto Blue Jays catcher Tyler Heineman (55) is safe at third base after the play is reviewed against Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (13) in the twelfth inning during game three of the 2025 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium.
October 29, 2025

18-Inning World Series Game 3 Draws 17.6M Viewers in U.S. and Canada

Canadian viewership of the World Series remains solid despite an 18-inning Game 3.
John Madden
October 30, 2025

How John Madden Became ‘America’s Nutty Football Professor’

“Once paired with Summerall, Madden found his true path.”
Sponsored

How HOKA is Reimagining the NIL Relationship

TNT Sports is going all-in on college athletics—bringing fans closer and giving brands a powerful new way to connect.
Oct 26, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Marvin Bagley III (35) and forward Kyshawn George (18) talk after a turnover against the Charlotte Hornets during the third quarter at Capital One Arena.
exclusive
October 29, 2025

Wizards Hire Ex-ESPN Editor Cristina Daglas for Front Office Role

ESPN placed Cristina Daglas on administrative leave in January.
October 29, 2025

NFL Ratings Continue to Surge: CBS and NBC on a Record Pace

NBC is averaging 24.7 million viewers per game for “Sunday Night Football.”
October 28, 2025

World Series Games 1–2 TV Ratings Are Up With U.S., Canada Combined

U.S. viewership is expectedly down, but it is boosted significantly by Canada.
Colin Cowherd
October 28, 2025

Colin Cowherd Reflects on Hall of Fame Career and Why His Show..

“Once you’re on television and people have a remote, you’ve got to speed it up.”