Paramount reportedly questions the “fairness and adequacy” of the WBD bidding process; Mark Lazarus discusses Versant’s business strategy; and the Week 16 “Monday Night Football” game will be available on Disney+. Plus news on Dan Hicks, Thierry Henry, Bill Reiter and ESPN Events.
Paramount reportedly questions ‘fairness and adequacy’ of WBD bidding process
Attorneys for Paramount sent a letter to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav Wednesday questioning the “fairness and adequacy” of the company’s bidding process, according to CNBC. In the document, the attorneys accuse WBD of having a “predetermined outcome that favors a single bidder,” referencing reports that the WBD board “has really warmed to” a deal with Netflix because of the chemistry between management teams.
From there, Paramount attorneys said that there is a “credible basis to believe that the sales process has been tainted by management conflicts” and called on WBD to appoint an independent special committee of disinterested board members to make a final determination if it has not done so already.
The missive comes just days after Paramount, Netflix and Comcast reportedly issued second-round bids amid WBD’s review of strategic alternatives. Paramount is said to have offered a $5 billion breakup fee, pledging to compensate WBD should the sides agree to a deal that is ultimately not finalized. WBD is looking for a third round of bids due by the end of Thursday, according to a report by Joe Flint, Dave Michaels and Lauren Thomas of The Wall Street Journal.
WBD reportedly sent a response to Paramount ensuring the company that the board “attends to its fiduciary obligations with the utmost care” and that it has and will continue to fully comply with said responsibilities. Alex Sherman of CNBC had reported last month that Paramount could potentially formalize a hostile bid if WBD’s decision stalled or went in a different direction.
Lazarus: Versant will ‘build beyond cable’
Speaking at its investor day Thursday, Versant Media CEO Mark Lazarus said that the new company has “a mandate to build beyond cable” and that it is “not stuck in old media.” Lazarus added that half of Versant’s projected revenue of $6.6 billion in 2026 will come from its non-cable properties.
Aside from the suite of cable networks being spun off from Comcast into the new, publicly traded company, Versant is also inheriting other businesses such as Fandango, GolfNow and Rotten Tomatoes. The company announced Thursday that it has acquired FAST company Free TV Networks and cloud-based operating system Indy Cinema Group as well, further adding to its entertainment portfolio. Comcast’s board of directors approved the spin transaction Wednesday, and Versant will become a standalone company following the close of trading on Friday, Jan. 2.
Lazarus, the one-time NBC Sports president who was most recently chairman of NBCUniversal, pledged to “reinvest” in the cable networks, which he said had become “under-resourced” during his tenure with NBCU.
Versant sports and genre entertainment properties generated 700 billion hours watched last year, a 7% rise from five years ago, the company said. Its footprint of 69 million accessible U.S. households, per Nielsen, is said to be ahead of several major-market streaming providers.
Week 16 MNF game available on Disney+
The Week 16 “Monday Night Football” matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and San Francisco 49ers will be available on Disney+, the company announced Wednesday, marking the first time subscribers to the streaming service will be able to access a traditional NFL game broadcast. ESPN is able to stream a “Monday Night Football” game on Disney+ under its current media rights agreement with the NFL.
The game will also be simulcast on ABC, marking an additional simulcast on the broadcast network. ESPN noted when it announced its initial schedule back in May that it had the option to schedule an additional ABC simulcast.
ABC has skipped the past two Monday nights and will do so again in Week 17, but has carried “Monday Night Football” in every other week this season.
An additional Week 16 change comes with the NFC North showdown between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers being assigned an 8:20 PM ET start time on December 20. This game marks the second half of a Saturday doubleheader that Fox Sports revealed at its company Upfront event in May. The contest will be preceded by the Philadephia Eagles and Washington Commanders’ showdown at 5 PM ET.
Plus: Dan Hicks, Thierry Henry, Bill Reiter, ESPN Events
- Dan Hicks is set to work his 15th play-by-play assignment for NBC coverage of the Olympics this February, calling alpine skiing for the fourth consecutive Winter Games. Hicks will broadcast alongside analyst Steve Porino and reporters including Heather Cox and Cara Banks.
- Fox Sports has revealed that former France National Team striker Thierry Henry will be on the broadcast roster for its presentation of the FIFA World Cup as a lead analyst. Henry will make his debut on the broadcasts this Friday for the network’s presentation of the Final Draw.
- Bill Reiter is no longer going to be hosting “Reiter Than You” on Audacy-owned Infinity Sports Network amid larger changes at the company, he announced Thursday. His final show is December 19. The news comes shortly after it was reported that Craig Carton would be returning to WFAN to host afternoon drive, which per Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, will result in the midday duo of Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata being cut from the schedule.
- ESPN on Thursday announced the debut of the Xbox Bowl, a new Frisco, Texas-based bowl game that will take place Thursday, December 18 at 9 PM ET between Missouri State and Arkansas State. This game fills the vacancy left by the Bahamas Bowl, which took place in nine of the last 10 college football seasons.
