David Ellison Pledges More Films, Cinema Focus in Warner Bros Takeover Bid

David Ellison, CEO of Paramount Skydance, has pledged increased film production and cinema releases if his company succeeds in acquiring Warner Bros Discovery (WBD), while cautioning against a potential Netflix monopoly.

In an open letter released yesterday to the creative community, Ellison outlined commitments to bolster competition amid his ongoing hostile takeover bid for WBD. This follows WBD's agreement last December to sell its streaming and studio businesses to Netflix for $72 billion. Paramount Skydance, previously among the interested parties, launched its rival public offer shortly afterward, which remains active.

Ellison emphasised the need for a market that supports "the full diversity of cinema, content creation, and theatrical exhibition, rather than one that eliminates competition by forming a monopolistic or overly dominant entity"—a clear reference to Netflix. He made it "absolutely clear" that a successful deal would include firm pledges to enhance rivalry in the sector.

Under the proposal, Paramount and Warner would each produce at least 15 high-quality feature films annually, totalling a minimum of 30 movies per year. Ellison also advocated for a "dynamic ecosystem of third parties" by licensing films and series, alongside acquiring independent content.

He reaffirmed dedication to cinemas, promising full theatrical releases for all films with a global minimum 45-day window before on-demand availability. Post-theatre, movies would adhere to standard industry timelines, moving to digital rental before streaming. Ellison further committed to keeping the HBO platform independent.

The executive positioned the bid as advantageous for the industry, contrasting it with Netflix's approach. "Unlike Netflix's strategy, this operation aims to strengthen competition by creating a more robust and effective rival to dominant platforms," he stated.