Warner Bros. Discovery is reportedly preparing to tell shareholders to reject the Paramount bid; Rebecca Lowe is returning to NBC Olympics; and Roxanna Scott is joining ESPN in a new role. Plus news on Michael Jordan, ESPN, Brian Windhorst and Zach Gelb.
WBD reportedly telling shareholders to reject Paramount bid
Warner Bros. Discovery is preparing to inform shareholders to reject the hostile takeover bid put forth by Paramount, according to a report by Lauren Thomas and Joe Flint of The Wall Street Journal. WBD could reportedly issue the guidance as soon as Wednesday, after which Paramount would presumably decide whether to increase its bid.
Michelle F. Davis and Lucas Shaw of Bloomberg reported that WBD’s board believes the Netflix deal provides “greater value, certainty and terms than what Paramount has proposed.” There are concerns over financials, one of which pertains to equity being backstopped by a revocable trust that manages the fortune of tech magnate Larry Ellison. One change to the bid involves the withdrawal of Affinity Partners, a private equity firm owned by Jared Kushner.
Paramount chairman/CEO David Ellison claims that his company’s bid to acquire the entire company for $30/share is “a superior alternative to the Netflix transaction,” which his company argues will trigger a lengthy regulatory process. Netflix reached a cash-and-stock deal to acquire the streaming and studios unit of WBD for $27.75/share. Unlike Paramount, Netflix did not bid on the WBD cable networks that will be independently held by Discovery Global following a planned split in Q3 2026.
Ellison was overheard at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference last week explaining that the WBD board could not accept the Paramount offer in its current form because it would be “admitting breach of fiduciary duty,” according to James Faris of Business Insider. Should WBD choose not to honor its agreement with Netflix, it would owe the company a $2.8 billion breakup fee. If the deal does not close, potentially due to regulatory concerns, Netflix would need to compensate WBD $5.8 billion.
Lowe returning as NBC Olympics host
Rebecca Lowe will be working as a daytime host on NBCUniversal coverage of the Milan Cortina Olympic Games 2026, marking her seventh consecutive Olympic assignment with NBC. Lowe holds the hosting-streak record among current NBC Olympics broadcasters, which started during the 2014 Sochi Games on NBCSN. From there, she appeared on NBC and NBCSN and has been exclusive to the NBC broadcast network since the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Along with anchoring daytime coverage of the Olympics, Lowe will host the “Milan Cortina Olympic Preview Show” one day before the Opening Ceremony. A few months after the Olympics conclude, she will cover the FIFA World Cup 26 as a host for Fox Sports. Lowe also continues to serve as the host of Premier League studio programming on NBC, including the morning program, pre and post-match shows and “Premier League Live.”
“Rebecca is a natural in our daytime window as she seamlessly transitions live from sport to sport while incorporating analysts and conducting entertaining interviews,” NBC Olympics EP Molly Solomon said in a statement. “As her streak attests, she has many fans among Olympic viewers, and we are excited she will be hosting our primetime Olympic preview special the night before the Opening Ceremony.”
Lowe joins a roster of NBC Olympics hosts that includes Mike Tirico, Maria Taylor, Ahmed Fareed, Carolyn Manno, Andrew Siciliano and Lindsey Czarniak. It should be noted that some programming will air on USA Network and CNBC, both of which will be owned by Versant starting in early January. Comcast-owned NBCUniversal holds U.S. media rights for the Olympics through 2036 under a new partnership with the International Olympic Committee.
Scott joining ESPN in new editorial role
Roxanna Scott is joining ESPN starting on Monday, Jan. 5 under a newly-created position of SVP and editor in chief, the company announced Tuesday. Scott, a longtime news industry veteran who most recently led the USA Today sports department, will be responsible for leading the digital editorial, investigative and enterprise journalism and news desk groups. Under this role, she will report to David Roberts, ESPN EVP and executive editor of sports news and entertainment.
“It’s an honor to lead the newsroom at ESPN, the global leader in sports news,” Scott said in a statement. “I’ve long admired the talented and dogged reporters who break news, covering the biggest stories in all of sports. I look forward to serving ESPN’s massive audience with coverage that is exclusive, informative and innovative while continuing to raise the standard for excellent journalism.”
The new hire marks another change at ESPN’s editorial department this year, which included the departure of Cristina Daglas after she was said to be placed on administrative leave after reported HR complaints, according to Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports. Glasspiegel reported in April that senior deputy editors Elizabeth Baugh and Heather Burns also left the company.
Before her time with USA Today, Scott worked for The Dallas Morning News where she filled a variety of editorial roles. Scott was an intern for the publication during her time attending the University of Iowa, preceded by part-time work for her hometown newspaper at the age of 16.
Plus: Michael Jordan, ESPN, Brian Windhorst, Zach Gelb
- NBC Sports president Rick Cordella recently told Richard Deitsch of The Athletic that having six-time NBA champion and Hall of Fame member Michael Jordan as a member of its “NBA on NBC” broadcast team has been “a positive for us.” Cordella added that the company hopes to be in business with Jordan “for a long time” and said to “stay tuned” about what could be forthcoming.
- Pat McAfee is returning to College Football Playoff coverage on ESPN networks with the “Field Pass” alternate broadcast during the Miami-Texas A&M game. In addition, both ESPN announcing crews for games airing on TNT will make their CFP first-round TV debuts under the new 12-team format — Joe Tessitore, Jesse Palmer and Katie George (Tulane-Ole Miss); Bob Wischusen, Louis Riddick, Kris Budden, Stormy Buonantony (James Madison-Oregon) — with the exception of Quint Kessenich, who will be on the former.
- ESPN senior NBA writer Brian Windhorst is bringing his podcast to the Omaha Audio Network, it was revealed on Monday. The program, titled “Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective,” features discussion surrounding the latest developments and rumors around the league and first debuted in August 2019.
- Zach Gelb is departing the Audacy-owned Infinity Sports Network as the company prepares to re-brand the entity as Westwood One Sports. Gelb has worked on the network airwaves since March 2018, and he will host his final show Friday before programming changes take effect on Monday, Dec. 29.
