iWorld
AT&T’s Warner Media & Discovery Inc closing in on merger?
Mumbai: The growing power of Netflix, Disney and Amazon and other larger media entities is forcing strange alliances on the industry. US telecom giant AT&T, which acquired Warner Media (then named Time Warner) for around $85 billion in 2018 is all set to fuse Warner Media with Discovery Inc, which itself is valued at around $16 billion with an enterprise valuation of $30 billion. That’s according to a report by US business news channel CNBC.
The purpose: the two want to stay relevant in the new media ecosystem in which billions of dollars are being spent on content on customer acquisition and retention.
A new publicly traded company holding the combined assets is to be created with ownership lying with the two media giants’ shareholders. CNBC stated that insiders had informed the channel that a deal is likely to be announced Monday sometime. But it also said no one was willing to come on record on what the stock holding split would be like. It also added that the deal – while it was in the final stages – may even fall through.
Earlier Bloomberg had reported that the two were in talks to combine the two firms to form a giant media conglomerate.
AT&T houses brands like CNN, HBO, Cartoon Network, TBS, TNT, and the Warner Bros. studio. Discovery owns networks such as HGTV, Food Network, TLC, and Animal Planet. If such a deal were to be completed, it would be the largest media merger since Viacom and CBS combined their businesses to form ViacomCBS in December 2019.
Both companies have recently entered the streaming wars. With a platter of content in entertainment, lifestyle, the combined company can create a better international footprint. Moreover, it can emerge as a strong rival to players like Disney, Netflix which are turning out to be more aggressive every day in the streaming war.
However, there is no information yet on how the assets will be combined. Despite the ongoing discussion, there is no certainty at this moment that it would lead to an actual transaction, Bloomberg reported.
The report also comes amid the speculation over Comcast’s NBCUniversal and AT&T’s Warner Media merger after research firm LightShed Partners said both the entities should be spun off and merged for long-term health.
Back in February, AT&T sold 30 per cent of satellite pay-TV operator DirecTV to private equity firm TPG to offload its debt, largely caused by its acquisition spree in the last few years.
iWorld
Atrangii OTT partners with Amazon MX Player to expand global content reach
Deal brings originals and catalogue to Prime Video, widening audience access
MUMBAI: Atrangii OTT has entered into a strategic content partnership with Amazon MX Player, in a move designed to significantly expand the reach of its content across India and global markets.
As part of the agreement, Atrangii’s existing library along with select upcoming originals will also be made available on Amazon Prime Video, giving the platform access to a far wider audience base.
The partnership positions Amazon MX Player as a key hub for Atrangii’s content slate, which includes titles such as Koi Jaaye Toh Le Aaye, Shiddat, Marham, Khamosh Aahatein, and Kanpuriya. Known for its focus on thrillers, romance and unconventional narratives, Atrangii has been building a niche with bold, genre-driven storytelling.
Atrangii OTT CEO Avinash Dugar said, “We are delighted to partner with Amazon MX Player to bring Atrangii OTT’s storytelling to a much wider audience. This collaboration allows us to scale our creative ambitions while continuing to produce compelling originals.”
The move reflects a broader trend of OTT platforms leveraging partnerships to scale distribution without compromising on content identity. For Atrangii, it offers both visibility and scale, while for Amazon’s platforms, it strengthens content diversity.
With audiences now able to access Atrangii’s catalogue across multiple platforms, the partnership sets the stage for wider discovery and deeper engagement, as competition in the streaming space continues to intensify.
