iWorld
Netflix backs WBD board, doubles down on blockbuster merger
CALIFORNIA: Netflix has thrown its full weight behind Warner Bros. Discovery’s board, endorsing its unanimous decision to stick with the Netflix merger and rebuff Paramount Skydance’s revised takeover bid. The message from Los Gatos is unequivocal: this is the deal that matters.
After what it called a “comprehensive and rigorous” review, the WBD board has reaffirmed that the Netflix transaction delivers the best outcome for shareholders, creators and audiences alike. Netflix welcomed the stance, describing the agreement as a rare alignment of scale, creative muscle and financial certainty in an industry addicted to leverage and noise.
Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters, co-ceos of Netflix, said the combination would fuse two complementary storytelling powerhouses. Together, they argued, Netflix and Warner Bros. would expand creative opportunities, strengthen theatrical and streaming slates, and sharpen competition across a rapidly consolidating entertainment landscape.
The economics are hefty. Under the agreement announced in December, Netflix will acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in a cash-and-stock deal valuing WBD at $27.75 per share, with an enterprise value of about $82.7 billion. Crucially, the structure preserves the planned spin-off of Discovery Global, WBD’s linear networks arm, expected to list in Q3 2026.
Regulatory wheels are already turning. Netflix has filed under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act and is engaging with competition authorities in the US and Europe. The companies expect the deal to close within 12 to 18 months.
The contrast with the rival bid is stark. Only a day earlier, WBD’s board had dismissed Paramount Skydance’s offer as risky, debt-heavy and poor value, urging shareholders not to tender their stock. Netflix’s endorsement underlines that assessment, reinforcing the sense that the race is no longer close.
In a streaming world crowded with ambition but short on conviction, Netflix and Warner Bros. are betting on scale with purpose. If approved, the merger will not just reshape balance sheets—it will redraw the map of global storytelling.
iWorld
T20 World Cup ’26: India–England semi-final sets global streaming record of 619 million views on JioHotstar
India–England semi-final records 65.2 million peak streams
MUMBAI: The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 set a new milestone in global sports streaming, as the India–England semi-final drew record digital audiences on JioHotstar.
The match on 5 March registered 65.2 million peak concurrent viewers, the highest ever recorded for a live event on any streaming platform worldwide. The semi-final also generated 619 million views, making it the most streamed T20 international match in history.
The landmark audience numbers were driven largely by viewers in India, setting a record achieved within a single market, rather than through aggregated viewership across multiple countries.
The high-scoring encounter between India national cricket team and England cricket team produced 499 runs across both innings, fuelling widespread fan engagement across platforms.
According to the International Cricket Council, the digital record surpassed the previous global benchmark of 65 million concurrent viewers, set in November 2024 by another international streaming platform.
Across television and digital platforms combined, the semi-final reached more than 320 million viewers, while total watch time exceeded 23 billion minutes, making it the most watched T20 international match ever.
“This World Cup demonstrates the immense passion of cricket fans and the progress made in bringing the game closer to audiences worldwide,” said ICC chairman Jay Shah.
“This moment reflects the scale of cricket fandom in India and the technological capability required to serve hundreds of millions of viewers simultaneously.”
JioStar vice-chairman Uday Shankar, said the audience surge underscored the future of large-scale digital entertainment.
“One in every three Indians tuned in to watch the second semi-final. Delivering such an experience at scale requires the very best of technology,” he said.
The 619 million views during the match also eclipsed the 533 million views recorded during the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
With the final yet to be played, the 2026 tournament has already set multiple benchmarks in audience reach and digital engagement.
India will face the New Zealand national cricket team in the final on 8 March at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The match will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network and streamed on JioHotstar.
