Warner Bros Discovery seeks improved bids by December 1

Welcome back to another edition of Mediavision’s newsletter. Here are the main topics in this week’s newsletter:

Warner Bros Discovery seeks improved bids by December 1
Join Mediavision’s live webinar: Evolution of the Nordic Content Slate
Paramount secures UK Champions League Rights & DAZN exits Belgian Pro League

TV & STREAMING

Warner Bros Discovery seeks improved bids by December 1st

The saga surrounding a potential sale of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) continues. The latest development is that WBD has asked prospective buyers to submit improved offers by next Monday, December 1, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

Since announcing that it was exploring strategic options, the company has received preliminary buyout proposals from Paramount/Skydance, Comcast, and Netflix.

Paramount is expected to bid for the entirety of WBD, including its cable television networks. The offer is backed by the studio’s controlling shareholder, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, one of the world’s wealthiest individuals.

A potential combination would expand Paramount’s footprint in theatrical distribution—giving it a 32% share of the North American box office, according to Comscore – and strengthen its streaming business by uniting HBO Max with Paramount+.

Reuters reported that WBD’s board rejected Paramount’s mostly cash offer of nearly USD 24 per share, valuing the company at roughly USD 60 billion, and subsequently announced it would evaluate strategic options for the studio.

WBD’s stock has risen 83% since Paramount’s interest was first reported in September. The shares closed at USD 22.96 on Tuesday.

After reviewing any revised bids, WBD may enter a period of exclusive negotiations with one of the suitors, the sources said.

Daily Mail owner strikes USD 650 million deal to buy the Telegraph

Spotify reportedly plans to hike US prices in Q1 2026

Australia adds Amazon’s Twitch to social media ban

Danish entertainment program receives international Emmy

Netflix celebrates the launch of Troll 2 with a show in the sky

WEBINAR

Join Mediavision’s live webinar: Evolution of the Nordic Content Slate

Locally produced content is a key driver of Nordic streaming growth. But the landscape is shifting – the market is fragmenting and competition is intensifying, which impacts both global and local players’ content investments and strategy ahead.

In this latest Mediavision webinar, we explore how the Nordic streaming market is evolving – from a content perspective. What is the role of e.g. locally produced content in subscription growth and engagement, and what does the future hold for Nordic content in a changing market?

Mediavision’s Principal Analyst, Fredrik Liljeqvist, will walk you through the current state of Nordic content supply, demand, and performance.

Topics include:

Trends in Nordic content supply across scripted and unscripted
How the local content slate has evolved and where investments are shifting
Audience preferences, viewing patterns, and demographic divides
The impact of local content strategies on subscriber acquisition and retention

The webinar takes place on Wednesday December 10th at 12:00 CET. Sign up here to join!

SPORTS

Paramount secures UK Champions League Rights & DAZN exits Belgian Pro League

It has been an eventful week for the European sports rights market.

Last week, it was announced that Paramount had secured the rights to the majority of UEFA Champions League matches in the UK from 2027 to 2031. The US company won the package after beating current main broadcaster TNT Sports in an auction. TNT Sports, formerly BT Sport, has held Champions League rights in the UK since the 2015–16 season. Paramount+ has not previously carried sports content in the UK market.

Prime Video has retained the first-pick Tuesday matches in the UK and in two other European markets, according to UC3, the joint venture between UEFA and European Football Clubs responsible for selling the competition’s rights. The new UC3/Relevent tender, launched in October 2025, initially covers only the “big five” markets: the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, and France.

In other sports rights news, Belgium’s top-tier football league, the Pro League, is navigating significant turbulence.

Yesterday, DAZN Belgium sent out a press release stating it is cancelling its multi-year contract to show the Pro League, saying the agreement has “ended in accordance with Belgian law” after months of deadlocked talks with clubs and major telecom operators. DAZN failed to secure carriage with key distributors, leaving games available only via its own app – a model the company says was not commercially viable. DAZN’s deal with the Pro League runs from 2025–26 to 2029–30 and is valued at EUR 83 million per season.

Massimo D’Amario, managing director of DAZN Belgium, said the company had “no other choice” but to let the contract lapse under Belgian law, insisting “no company should be forced to operate at a loss”. The Pro League has reacted angrily, accusing DAZN of ending the collaboration unilaterally and vowing to take “all necessary legal measures” to make sure the platform honors its commitments.

The collapse of the deal is also a financial blow for Pro League clubs, which rely heavily on media-rights income for their budgets. Some teams have already begun exploring a direct-to-consumer streaming service as a potential long-term alternative to traditional rights sales, a discussion likely to accelerate in the wake of DAZN’s exit.

Mediavision in the News

Spotifys nya drag: ”Tror på något annat” – SvD

Nya poddtrenden: Går över till video – ”Roligare” – Expressen

Spotify lanserar ljudböcker i Sverige – Dagens Industri

Traditional TV viewing in Sweden falls to less than a third of overall watch time – C21 Media

Social video takes 20% share as traditional TV hits record low in Sweden – Broadband TV News

Svenskarna tittar allt mindre på traditionell tv – Omni

Miljardförluster för tv-branschen när pirattittandet ökar – Dagens Media

Norske ungdommer bruker mest tid på SoMe i Norden – KOM24

Sweden: SVoD subs at record levels – Advanced Television

Svenskar strömmar mest reklamvideo i Norden – Dagens Nyheter