Hollywood Reporter: Will NBC Turn Its Sights On ViacomCBS?
/The Hollywood Reporter’s Kim Masters speculates on ramifications of the Warnermedia-Discovery merger and floats this doozy that would have huge ramifications for golf:
Before it emerged that Discovery was in the game, the betting had been that NBCUniversal would make off with the WarnerMedia assets, including premium cabler HBO, Warner Bros. studios and Turner networks like TNT and TBS. A decision to make an offer would have been up to NBCU owner Comcast, which may have hesitated and lost out on the chance. Now sources believe NBCU will turn its sights on ViacomCBS.
Whether or not that happens, says one knowledgeable source, depends on if ViacomCBS chairman Shari Redstone is a seller (she’d have to consider it, given the state of the media world) and if the deal — which would potentially bring assets including CBS and NBC, with their various news operations, under one roof, not to mention Paramount and Universal — can pass federal antitrust scrutiny. It would be sure to face a much harder look from regulators than a Discovery combination with WarnerMedia. No doubt assets would have to be shed if such a marriage were to be attempted.
Oh they know how to shed!
The story goes on to detail some golf stuff related to Jeff Zucker and AT&T Chief John Stankey.