Paramount Deal Chatter Puts Hollywood M&A Back in Wall Street Spotlight

What a difference a few days can make. Hollywood studios’ push to turn their streaming business profitable, the acceleration of cord-cutting, the writers’ and actors’ strikes, as well as a weak advertising market, have been at the forefront of investors’ minds all year. But just before the end of 2023, industry deal chatter has moved back into the spotlight with a vengeance, led by reports that parent National Amusements (NAI) could come into play. The chatter, sparked by a Puck , centers on whether mogul David Ellison’s Skydance Media and private equity firm RedBird Capital are eyeing a run at Shari Redstone’s NAI and its…