Mega deal in the media industry: first Netflix wants to snatch up competitor Warner Bros. Discovery for USD 83 billion. Then Paramount beckons with an even bigger cheque. How will the battle end? And what does this mean for the broadcasting of WorldTour races and the MTB World Cup?
Quake in the entertainment industry. Two media giants are battling it out for competitor Warner Bros Discovery. While Netflix had already bagged an 83 billion dollar deal, Paramount is now countering with a hostile takeover bid of 30 dollars per share, totalling an offer of 108.4 billion dollars. It is still unclear which divisions would be affected by the two offers. The impact on the broadcasting of road cycling and mountain bike races also remains unclear.
Cycling broadcasts: Will subscriptions now be more expensive?
In addition to the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Discovery also broadcasts numerous well-known road cycling races, including the major Grand Tours such as the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France and La Vuelta, as well as important classics such as Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Warner Bros Discovery thus covers a broad spectrum of the most important cycling events worldwide.
Warner Bros. Discovery had secured the broadcasting rights for the 2023 UCI MTB World Cup, replacing Red Bull Media House, which had previously broadcast the event free of charge. As a result, viewers in Germany had to access the content via discovery+, in the ad-financed model for €4.99 per month or in the ad-free standard subscription for €7.99. It is currently uncertain whether these prices will remain the same after the takeover by Netflix or after a possible hostile takeover by Paramount.
Netflix deal without sports details
The original Netflix deal did not contain any specific information on the broadcasting rights for the Mountain Bike World Cup and WorldTour races. There was speculation in the media that Netflix had only taken over the entertainment segments, including film studios and broadcasters such as HBO. It is entirely possible that the sports division was not affected by the takeover. The current Paramount offensive further exacerbates the ambiguity, as the offer would affect a larger part of the WBD portfolio, possibly including the sports division. Competition authorities, political factors and international supervisory authorities could also have a strong influence on both deals. What's more: International markets could be treated differently.
The situation is therefore complicated by regulatory hurdles. The outcome of the media battle and the impact on cycling broadcasts therefore remains completely open for the time being.
Explosive: Hollywood, politics and of course Trump
While cycling fans are hoping for continuity, the takeover is causing a stir in Hollywood and the US media landscape. Originally, many experts had expected a deal between WBD and Paramount, coupled with political tensions surrounding Donald Trump and his allies. The Paramount company has been owned by the family of software billionaire Larry Ellison, a well-known supporter of the incumbent US president, for a few months now. The constellation is made particularly explosive by the fact that Warner Bros. Discovery's portfolio includes the television channel CNN - which in turn has made a name for itself for years with its critical and distanced reporting on Donald Trump.
Josh Welz
Editor-in-Chief
