Hollywood
WB Sound acquires Digital Cinema New York
MUMBAI: WB Sound has acquired Digital Cinema New York, following its two-year relationship with the studio.
The addition of Digital Cinema New York adds to the full complement of sound and picture services Warner Bros. offers in Burbank, New York, and London.
“As the industry moves to a broader consolidation of picture and sound, Warner Bros. continues to expand and develop the full scope of our post production services. The volume of production in and around the New York area grows more and more robust, and we are fully committed to creatively serving the increasingly greater needs of the community,” said Warner Bros. Entertainment SVP, post production services worldwide Kim Waugh.
WB Sound New York, helmed by Oscar-winning sound supervisor and re-recording mixer Skip Lievsay, provides sound design, sound supervision, sound editorial, re-recording, and ADR services at its state-of-the-art Midtown Manhattan facility (formerly occupied by Digital Cinema).
“This acquisition is representative of our overall expansion of the post production services business at Warner Bros. We are pleased to meet our clients’ needs wherever they prefer to post their productions – between the greater Los Angeles, New York, and London areas, we’re truly able to creatively serve the industry at a global level,” added Warner Bros. Entertainment president, worldwide studio facilities Jon Gilbert.
Lievsay’s creative team includes sound supervisor and re-recording mixer Paul Urmson, supervising sound editors Eliza Paley and Ben Cheah, and re-recording mixer Michael Barry. Recent features edited and mixed at the WB Sound NY facility include Into the Woods, Rikki and the Flash, Family Fang, Miles Ahead, and Run All Night.
Warner Bros. began working from the Digital Cinema facility in May 2013. Together with Digital Cinema and Sync Sound veterans Bill Marino and Ken Hahn, Warner Bros. re-equipped the existing re-recording stage and built out eight new sound design and picture editing suites. Marino and Hahn will continue to operate Sync Sound, which was established in 1984.
Warner Bros. is planning a number of significant upgrades to the Digital Cinema facility in the coming months to bring it in line with the Burbank and London locations.
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.
