Hollywood
Movies NOW announces the 6th season of its blockbuster property ‘100 Mania’
MUMBAI: Movies NOW, India’s favorite English movie channel, rings in the festive season with its iconic mega property ‘100 Mania’. With the premise, ‘chill to win’, 6th season of the property gives viewers an opportunity to win tempting prizes by watching their favorite Hollywood Blockbusters every night at 9pm, starting 15th December 2018.
Movie buffs will find themselves glued to their screens as ‘100 Mania’ will feature the biggest action blockbusters and franchises that Hollywood has to offer. With a curated line-up of movies like ‘Iron Man 3’, ‘Finding Dory’, ‘Warcraft’, ‘Doctor Strange’, ‘The Revenant’ and ‘Casino Royal’, viewers can watch and win prizes like smartphones, MacBooks, iPhones, laptops, television sets, play station 4, cars, bikes and lots more by answering simple questions.
Vivek Srivastava, EVP & Head Entertainment Cluster, Times Network said, “100 Mania is an iconic property and we are proud to bring it back in a bigger, bolder avatar in its sixth season. Over the last five seasons of 100 Mania, we have seen an unprecedented level of consumer engagement and the property has been true to the channels promise to provide the best of Hollywood blockbusters to our viewers. To make the property more interactive and collaborative this season, we are leading a massive integrated multimedia campaign synchronizing TV and social media. We hope Season 6 of 100 Mania carries ahead the legacy of the property by continuing to delight the minds of our viewers.”
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.
