Hollywood
Netflix emerges as staff favourite in Warner Bros sale battle
Employees back Netflix deal amid fears of deeper cuts under Paramount
CALIFORNIA: Employees at Warner Bros Discovery have largely settled an internal debate over who they would rather work for if the company is sold; increasingly, the answer is Netflix.
After months of uncertainty, a growing consensus has emerged inside the company that a Netflix acquisition of Warner Bros.’ studios and HBO Max would be preferable to being absorbed wholesale by Paramount Skydance, according to media reports.
Early sentiment following Netflix’s deal announcement in December was split, with staff weighing how different divisions might fare under competing owners. Some at HBO believed Paramount plus would struggle to compete with HBO Max, while studio executives worried Netflix would hollow out theatrical filmmaking in favour of streaming-first output.
That balance has since shifted. Paramount Skydance’s aggressive cost-cutting and layoffs since closing its deal in August have sharpened concerns about job losses should Warner Bros Discovery follow the same path. Paramount has forecast more than $6 billion in cost synergies from a merger: a figure widely read inside WBD as code for deep redundancies.
By contrast, Netflix has pledged to preserve the Warner Bros. studio, lot and television operations. Assurances from Netflix co-chief executives Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters, including commitments to theatrical releases with a 45-day exhibition window, have softened scepticism across the Burbank lot.
A turning point came on 17 December, when Sarandos and Peters visited the Warner Bros studio campus alongside WBD chief David Zaslav, addressing employees in a town hall. Executives say the direct engagement helped stabilise nerves after years of corporate upheaval following Discovery’s 2022 merger with WarnerMedia.
The sale process remains live. Warner Bros Discovery has opened a seven-day window for talks with Paramount Skydance, led by David Ellison, to improve its $30-a-share offer. Netflix retains the right to counterbid should a higher proposal emerge.
For now, the WBD board continues to recommend that shareholders back the Netflix deal ahead of a 20 March vote. With earnings due days later, staff remain watchful, but many now believe Netflix represents the least disruptive future for one of Hollywood’s oldest studios.
Hollywood
Disney sells out ad slots for 98th Oscars broadcast
Strong demand for live events turns the Academy Awards into a global, multi-platform marketing moment
NEW YORK: Hollywood’s biggest night has also become one of advertising’s hottest tickets. Disney has sold out all advertising inventory for the 98th Oscars, underscoring the growing demand from brands eager to ride the cultural wave of major live events.
The sell-out marks the sixth consecutive live tentpole success for Disney Advertising. The streak includes last year’s 97th Oscars, the 59th Annual CMA Awards, and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest, signalling strong appetite among marketers for moments that bring audiences together in real time.
For advertisers, the Oscars are no longer just a single night of glitz and gold statues. Disney’s “Content Everywhere” strategy has expanded the awards show into a sprawling, multi-platform brand playground spanning linear television, streaming, social media and digital content.
“Live continues to be one of the most powerful ways for brands to connect with engaged audiences at scale, and the Oscars represent the very best of culture, creativity and community,” said Disney Advertising SVP, entertainment and streaming solutions John Campbell. He added that the company has reshaped the show’s commercial potential into a connected experience that stretches well beyond the broadcast.
Brands such as Mazda, Pfizer and Volkswagen of America are tapping into Disney’s wider ecosystem, appearing across original content segments including Know Your Movies on Hulu and Critically Acclaimed on Disney+. Partnerships also extend to social media through TikTok Pulse Premiere and to custom brand storytelling created by Disney CreativeWorks.
The result is what Disney calls the “Oscars Everywhere” approach. Rather than a few high-profile ad breaks, advertisers now find themselves woven through a series of moments before, during and after the ceremony.
These include On The Red Carpet at The Oscars, a live pre-show syndicated across major local markets and streamed nationwide, and the After the Oscars Show, which keeps the conversation going once the final award has been handed out.
This year’s sponsors include Rolex, returning for its ninth year, and Burger King, which joins the Oscars advertiser roster for the first time. Other brands in the mix include Disney Cruise Line, Dunkin’, Eli Lilly and Company, Eucerin, Intuit TurboTax, L’Oréal, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Miebo, Paris Baguette, Peacock, Starbucks, State Farm, Toyota and Verizon.
The 98th Oscars will take place on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. The ceremony will be broadcast live on ABC and streamed on Hulu, reaching audiences in more than 200 territories worldwide.
