iWorld
Warner Bros Discovery reviews Paramount’s hostile bid
NEW YORK: Warner Bros Discovery has confirmed that Paramount Skydance has launched an unsolicited tender offer to buy all outstanding shares of the Hollywood group, jolting an already fraught takeover landscape.
The company said its board will review the approach in line with its fiduciary duties and in consultation with independent financial and legal advisers. For now, it is standing firm behind its existing agreement with Netflix and has not altered its recommendation to shareholders.
The board said it would communicate its formal view on the Paramount Skydance offer within 10 business days. Investors have been advised to sit tight and take no action while the review is under way.
Allen & Company, JP Morgan and Evercore are advising Warner Bros Discovery, with Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz and Debevoise & Plimpton acting as legal counsel.
Paramount Skydance’s move adds fresh intrigue to the battle for scale in global media, as studios and streamers fight for content, cashflow and control. Warner Bros Discovery said the bid does not affect the proposed transaction with Netflix, details of which will be set out in forthcoming regulatory filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
Gaming
Sony raises PS5 prices for second time in under a year
US disc edition jumps $100 to $649.99 as memory costs surge.
MUMBAI: Sony just hit the pause button on affordable gaming because when memory prices skyrocket, even the Playstation has to pay the premium. Sony has announced its second price increase for the Playstation 5 range in less than a year, citing pressures in the global economic landscape and a sharp rise in memory component costs driven by AI demand.
In the US, the PS5 disc edition will rise from $549.99 to $649.99, a $100 hike while the digital edition increases to $599.99. The more powerful PS5 Pro will jump $150 to $899.99. The Playstation Portal remote player will also rise by $50 to $249.99. The new prices take effect on 2 April 2026.
Similar increases have been applied in the UK (£90 per model), Europe and Japan. Sony last raised PS5 prices in the US in August 2025.
“We know that price changes impact our community, and after careful evaluation, we found this was a necessary step to ensure we can continue delivering innovative, high-quality gaming experiences to players worldwide,” Sony said in a blog post.
The hikes come amid an unprecedented surge in memory prices, as manufacturers prioritise supply for AI data centres. Analysts say Sony had likely secured price protections for components that have now expired, forcing the company to protect its hardware margins.
Ampere Analysis research director of games Piers Harding-Rolls told CNBC that further increases from Microsoft and Nintendo would not be surprising, though Nintendo may hesitate to raise the price of its recently launched Switch 2 while establishing the new platform.
The increases arrive eight months before the highly anticipated release of GTA 6, which is expected to drive strong console sales. However, early reactions online have been a mix of disappointment and resignation, with growing concern that premium gaming is increasingly becoming a hobby for higher-income players.
In a sector already grappling with tariffs, inflation and component shortages, Sony’s move underscores a tough reality: even the most popular consoles are not immune to the rising cost of keeping up with the latest technology.
