Movies
Asianet movies launches special Onam campaign ‘Oru Padathinu Poyalo’ inviting audiences to return to theatres
Mumbai: At a time when new releases are struggling to draw large crowds to theatres, Asianet Movies has stepped forward to support the film industry.
‘Oru Padathinu Poyalo’, a special onam campaign created by Asianet Movies, invites audiences to return to theatres to experience a cinematic experience available only on big screens. The campaign revolves around reminding audiences of the magic of cinema and encouraging them to watch new releases in theatres.
This campaign was launched in collaboration with the Kerala Film Producers Association.
Asianet executive director Kishan Kumar said, “Since inception, Asianet Movies has taken pride in Malayalam cinema and always stood for its betterment. The underlying motive for this campaign was our comprehensive understanding of the constant challenges faced by creators, artists, producers, distributors, and theatre owners.”
He added that this is the first time a television network has launched a campaign to increase theatre attendance and combat piracy.
Hollywood
Paramount Skydance secures financing for Warner Bros Discovery deal
Debt syndication and new loans push $111 billion merger closer to close
WASHINGTON: Paramount Skydance has taken a major step towards its planned acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, securing fresh financing and completing the syndication of its bridge loan facility.
In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company confirmed that the bridge facility has now been distributed among a group of 18 banks, reducing total commitments to $49 billion from an earlier $54 billion. The move spreads risk across lenders and signals growing confidence in one of the year’s largest media deals.
Alongside this, the company has finalised permanent financing arrangements, including $5 billion in senior term loans and a $5 billion revolving credit facility. A previously planned $3.5 billion credit line has been dropped as part of the restructuring.
The loans are secured against key assets, including Paramount Global, Skydance Media and Warner Bros post-merger, underlining the scale and complexity of the transaction.
The financing push follows a competitive bidding process earlier this year, which saw interest from players such as Netflix before Paramount Skydance emerged as the frontrunner. The deal, valued at $111 billion, is expected to close in the third quarter, subject to regulatory approvals.
Adding to the momentum, the company has also secured significant equity backing, including investments from Middle Eastern funds, with support from billionaire Larry Ellison, who has guaranteed the equity portion of the transaction.
Commenting on the development, Paramount Skydance chief strategy officer Andy Gordon said, “Our successful debt syndication and new debt facilities represent another important milestone towards the completion of our acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery.”
Once completed, the combined entity is expected to carry net debt of just under $80 billion, reflecting the sheer scale of the merger.
As Hollywood continues to consolidate in the streaming era, this deal could reshape the competitive landscape, with Paramount Skydance betting big on scale, content and financial muscle to take on global rivals.
