Paramount Skydance, led by David Ellison and supported financially by his father Larry Ellison (cofounder of Oracle), is reportedly preparing a major takeover bid for Warner Bros Discovery (WBD). The move comes shortly after Skydance completed its $8.4 billion acquisition of Paramount Global.

The prospective deal would combine major studio, streaming, and news operations under one roof: Warner Bros film studio, HBO, CNN among others plus Paramount+ and legacy Paramount brands (SkyShowtime among others). In the Nordics, WBD brands collect around 3 million subscribing households. Shares in WBD jumped dramatically after reports of the bid became public – up almost 60% in five days.

But it’s not locked in yet: no formal offer has been made, and insiders say the plans could still fall apart. Warner Bros Discovery has already been working on a restructuring plan by splitting its cable television business from its studio and streaming units.

If the deal happens, there are serious regulatory risks. Antitrust experts warn that combining these media giants could reduce competition, limit content diversity, raise costs for consumers, and increase negotiating leverage over distributors and creators. It would also reshape the competitive landscape by creating a mega-studio streaming force that could rival Netflix, Disney, Amazon, etc.

Read up on the full press release here, with commentary from Mediavision’s Senior Analyst Fredrik Liljeqvist.

The United States and China have agreed on a framework that could secure TikTok’s future in the US, but the details are still being hammered out. President Donald Trump has now extended the deadline for a possible nationwide ban until December 16. Today, September 17, had been the cutoff date when TikTok risked being shut down if no agreement was in place.

According to the current proposal, a US-based version of TikTok would be created with American investors, including Oracle, Andreessen Horowitz and Silver Lake, owning around 80%. The new consortium would also be operated by a majority-US board, including a member appointed by the Trump administration. Oracle would be responsible for handling US user data. ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, would be reduced to a minority stake.

One of the thorniest unresolved issues is TikTok’s algorithm. Beijing has suggested that even under a new structure, the US app would continue to use a Chinese-developed algorithm under license. That possibility highlights the delicate balance between securing US control and China’s reluctance to let go of one of its most valuable technology exports.

For now, Trump has celebrated the framework as a win for young Americans who “wanted to save TikTok,” while Beijing has been careful not to frame the deal as a loss of face. But many details remain unsettled, from licensing arrangements to regulatory oversight. For TikTok’s 170 million US users, the coming months will decide whether the platform remains largely unchanged or enters a new era under American control.

High AI use in the Nordic media industry – Broadband TV News

Sweden: SVoD subs at record levels – Advanced Television

Svenskar strömmar mest reklamvideo i Norden – Dagens Nyheter 

Report: Ad-funded content now half of Swedes’ online viewing – Advanced Television

Spotifys nya plan kan förändra bokmarknaden – Svenska Dagbladet

Social video slår rekord – nu ökar pressen på de lokala aktörerna – Dagens Media

Report: Social video consumption soars in Nordics – Advanced Television

Spotifys popularitet kan tränga ut ljudbokstjänsterna – Svensk Bokhandel

Abonnementer med reklamer buldrer frem på dansk streamingmarked – Mediawatch

Danish streaming market tops 5 million – Broadband TV News

Nordmenn kjøper flest strømme-abonnement i Norden – Kampanje