Saudi, Abu Dhabi, Qatar Back Paramount $24B Deal

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April 08, 2026


Paramount Skydance Deal News Today 2026: Paramount Skydance has secured significant financial support to advance its proposed takeover of Warner Bros.

    
Paramount Skydance Deal News Today 2026: Saudi, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar funds back $24B Warner Bros Discovery acquisition.

Discovery, according to a regulatory filing released Tuesday.


The disclosure, submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, did not specify the total value of the funding commitments.


People with direct knowledge of the matter said the combined investment is estimated at around $24 billion.


The Public Investment Fund is expected to contribute approximately $12 billion, making it the largest backer in the deal.


Sovereign wealth funds based in Abu Dhabi and Qatar are each set to invest close to $6 billion, the sources added.


The funding arrangement represents a critical milestone as Paramount Skydance moves forward with one of the most closely watched media mergers in the global entertainment industry.


Paramount Secures $110 Billion Warner Bros. Discovery Deal After Outbidding Netflix

Paramount has outpaced Netflix to land a $110 billion agreement to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, according to details finalized earlier this year.


The transaction stands among the largest media deals in recent history.


Larry Ellison, whose son David Ellison leads the company, said the Ellison family plans to supply approximately $45.7 billion in equity financing.


He added that efforts are underway to attract additional backers to support that equity portion.


Paramount has yet to publicly identify those partners or clarify their financial commitments.


The timing of the deal has also raised interest among analysts.


The agreement came just weeks after the escalation of the U.S.-Iran conflict, a development that had prompted speculation about shifting investment priorities in the Middle East.


Some market observers had expected regional investors to focus more heavily on sectors such as defense and food security.


However, the scale of this acquisition highlights continued global demand for major investments in entertainment and media assets.


U.S. Media Deals Reflect Ongoing Saudi Investment Despite Global Pressures

Investors in the Middle East are continuing to expand their global portfolios even as domestic priorities grow, industry observers say.


“Focusing on domestic priorities does not come at the cost of international investments,” said Mazen Hayek.


Recent high-value transactions highlight a broader shift, with U.S. media and technology firms increasingly open to partnerships involving Saudi-backed capital.


That trend comes despite ongoing scrutiny following the 2018 killing of Jamal Khashoggi, an incident widely linked to Saudi operatives.


In September, Electronic Arts announced plans to go private in a $55 billion deal supported by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.


The investment firm led by Jared Kushner, son-in-law of Donald Trump, was also among the backers.


The developments underscore strengthening financial links between U.S. companies and Gulf investors, even as geopolitical sensitivities continue to shape the broader narrative.


Saudi Capital Returns to U.S. Deals as Paramount-Warner Filing Limits Oversight Concerns

Saudi investment into the United States has strengthened in recent years after slowing in the aftermath of the 2018 killing of Jamal Khashoggi.


The earlier decline was driven by global criticism and reputational concerns. Deal activity has since rebounded.


Transactions involving Saudi-backed funds in the U.S. totaled about $36.2 billion last year, the highest level recorded since 2016, according to data from Global SWF.


In the case of the proposed Paramount and Warner Bros. combination, foreign investors are expected to play a limited role in corporate control.


Regulatory disclosures indicate that sovereign wealth funds involved in the financing will not hold governance rights in the merged entity.


Their stakes are also modest relative to the overall size of the transaction.

Because of this structure, the deal is unlikely to automatically prompt a national security review by U.S. authorities, which can be required for certain foreign investments in domestic companies. 


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