Hollywood
‘CineEurope Final Night Awards’ honours movie industry luminaries, companies
MUMBAI: Movie industry luminaries and companies were honoured at the CineEurope Awards ceremony and dinner reception on 19 June at the Centre Convencions Internacional Barcelona (CCIB), in Barcelona, Spain.
A dinner reception, sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company and Rentrak, preceded the awards ceremony which was also hosted by The Coca-Cola Company. This year, a new award was presented honouring charitable works by the football club, FC Barcelona.
“CineEurope is proud to join with Variety to present the first Variety International Children’s Fund Humanitarian Award to FC Barcelona and its foundation,” stated managing director Robert Sunshine at the convention. “This award is being presented to FC Barcelona because of their global reach to help children who so desperately need it. Their work with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to help eradicate poverty and polio are to be commended and FC Barcelona is truly deserving of this award.”
The Variety International Children’s Fund Humanitarian Award was presented by Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO, DreamWorks Animation, and Miss World 2013, Megan Young.
Other awards that were presented at the CineEurope Awards Ceremony include Rentrak’s International Box Office Achievement Award, presented to Warner Bros. Pictures International for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug; CineEurope’s Independent Film Award to Germany’s Constant in Film; International Exhibitor of the Year Award to Vue Entertainment deputy CEO and CFO Alan McNair and The Coca-Cola Retail Achievement Award.
CineEurope will take place from 16-19 June at the Centre Convencions Internacional Barcelona (CCIB) in Barcelona, Spain. It will feature screenings of upcoming Hollywood films, sponsored events, timely and informative seminars and the CineEurope Trade Show. CineEurope is produced by Prometheus Global Media, owner of leading entertainment publications and events including Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Backstage, Adweek, Film Journal International, Dick Clark Productions, the CLIO Awards, ShowEast, and CineAsia.
CineEurope is the Official Convention of the Union Internationale des Cinémas/International Union of Cinemas (UNIC).
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.
