Hollywood
Seth Meyers of ‘Late Night’ will host the 66th EMMY Awards
MUMBAI: Television producer Don Mischer, best known for steering big galas such as the Super Bowl halftime shows, Olympic Games openings and the Academy Awards, will join the just announced host Seth Meyers for the 66th Primetime EMMY Awards.
“Seth’s expertise and ease in front of a live audience during ‘Saturday Night Live (SNL),’ as well as his comedic brilliance both as a writer and in front of the camera, makes him the perfect choice to host the EMMY,” said Late Night president and NBC Entertainment alternative programming Paul Telegdy in a press statement. “Plus, with Don’s vast experience at putting these types of big productions together, we’ll be in great hands.”
Primetime EMMY winner Meyers took over hosting duties on NBC’s Late Night in February following Jimmy Fallon’s jump to the Tonight Show. He also voices the character Prock on Hulu animated original The Awesomes, the superhero series he executive produced and co-created with Mike Shoemaker.
Widely recognised as the longest serving anchor on iconic Saturday Night Live segment “Weekend Update”, the Northwestern University alum also served as head writer for SNL for nine of his 13 seasons with the series.
Meyers won a Primetime EMMY for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for SNL host Justin Timberlake’s musical monologue in 2011 and has 10 additional EMMY nominations for television writing to his credit. Earlier today, Meyers was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world for 2014.
Acclaimed television and live events producer Mischer returns for his twelfth Primetime EMMYs run and his eighth time as executive producer.
He has been honoured with 14 EMMY Awards, a record 10 Directors Guild of America Awards for Outstanding Directorial Achievement, 2 NAACP Image Awards and a Peabody Award for excellence in broadcasting. Mischer is also the recipient of Europe’s prestigious Golden Rose of Montreux and the 2012 Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television from the Producers Guild of America.
“Seth is such a talented performer and writer, and we know he will bring something unique to hosting the Primetime EMMY Awards,” said Television Academy chairman and CEO Bruce Rosenblum.
“We are also excited to welcome Don back this year and very much look forward to the collaboration as we celebrate television’s biggest night during one of the most transformative years in Television Academy history.”
Mischer has also produced specials with Beyoncé, Bono, Jennifer Hudson, Rihanna, Britney Spears, James Taylor, Taylor Swift, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Garth Brooks, Mary J. Blige, Elton John, Justin Timberlake, Barbra Streisand, the Black Eyed Peas and Carrie Underwood, among others.
The 66th Primetime EMMY Awards will air live on Monday, 25 August from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California.
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.
