Hollywood
Priyanka Chopra signs with WME talent agency
NEW DELHI: Actress Priyanka Chopra, who stars as the lead in ABC’s FBI television drama Quantico, has moved from talent management agency CAA to William Morris Endeavor.
Chopra, who had been with CAA since 2012, was introduced to the agency by her longtime manager Anjula Acharia-Bath.
Acharia-Bath will continue to manage Chopra.
Chopra plays the lead in Quantico, which already has been picked up for a full season. She read 26 scripts under her ABC Studios talent deal before handpicking the role of Alex Parrish, an FBI recruit accused of causing a terrorist attack on Grand Central.
A former Miss World (2000), Chopra has starred in more than 50 Hindi movies and has received critical acclaim for her performances in movies like Fashion, Mary Kom and Barfi! amongst others. Her forthcoming Hindi films include Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s epic drama Baajirao Mastani and Prakash Jha’s Jai Gangajaal.
On Indian television, Chopra also hosted a season of Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi on Colors in 2010, for which she received the Indian Telly Awards for Most Impactful Debut on Television.
Chopra is also actively pursuing her music career and has recorded albums in English. Her single “In My City” was chosen as the NFL Network’s 2013 Thursday Night Football theme song. Later, she recorded a duet with Pitbull and her cover of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” was featured in a nationwide Beats By Dre campaign.
Hollywood
Paramount eyes $24bn Gulf support to fund Warner Bros Discovery merger: Reports
Sovereign funds line up funding as media giants chase streaming scale
NEW YORK: Paramount Skydance is in talks to secure nearly $24 billion in equity commitments from Gulf sovereign wealth funds to support its planned takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, according to a WSJ report.
The funding push comes as Paramount Skydance advances its proposed $110 billion deal for Warner Bros. Discovery, which carries an equity valuation of $81 billion and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026.
At the heart of the financing plan are three major Gulf investors. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is expected to contribute roughly $10 billion, while the Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi-based L’imad Holding are likely to make up the remainder.
Crucially, the proposed investments are structured as non-voting stakes. This means the Gulf backers would not have direct control in the combined entity, a move designed to ease regulatory concerns in the United States. Paramount executives reportedly do not expect the deal to trigger scrutiny from bodies such as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States or the Federal Communications Commission.
If completed, the merger would bring together a formidable portfolio of entertainment and news assets, including CNN and CBS. The combined entity aims to better compete in a fast-evolving media landscape where streaming platforms are steadily pulling audiences away from traditional television.
The deal reflects a broader shift in global media, where scale is increasingly seen as essential to survive the streaming wars. By pooling content libraries, technology and distribution, Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery are betting on size and synergy to drive future growth.
The involvement of deep-pocketed Gulf investors also underscores the growing role of sovereign wealth in shaping global media consolidation, particularly at a time when high-value deals demand equally large financial backing.
With shareholder votes and regulatory milestones still ahead, the proposed tie-up remains one of the most closely watched media deals of the year. If it clears the final hurdles, it could redraw the competitive map of the global entertainment industry.
