Paramount Skydance Confirms Investments by Middle Eastern Wealth Funds

David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance on Tuesday confirmed that it has brought on the sovereign wealth funds of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi as investors in connection with its Warner Bros. Discovery takeover bid.

In an SEC filing, Paramount said that it “believes the successful Equity Syndication” agreement with the Middle Eastern funds — as well as LionTree — marks “an important milestone in the WBD transaction process, and that the resulting diversification of its shareholder base, the potential for strategic and commercial opportunities with the various Equity Syndication Parties, and the value of the Warrants described below, enhance long-term shareholder value.”

Paramount did not elaborate on what the “strategic and commercial opportunities” could be with the Saudi, Abu Dhabi and Qatar funds.

Paramount’s pending $111 billion deal for WBD would bring together Paramount assets including CBS News, Paramount Pictures and Paramount+ with WBD’s HBO and HBO Max, Warner Bros. Pictures, CNN, TNT, TBS, HGTV and more. It still requires Warner Bros. Discovery shareholder approval as well as regulatory clearances.

The 8-K filing with the SEC does not disclose how much each party is investing in Paramount Skydance. Variety previously confirmed that in aggregate, the three Middle Eastern funds are investing close to $24 billion, with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund taking a roughly $10 billion stake.

Per the Paramount 8-K filing, the equity syndication parties are composed of affiliates of the Ellison Parties and RedBird as well as the following large, well-capitalized institutional investors: Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, L’Imad 1st SPV 2 Exempt RSC (an investment vehicle of L’imad Holding, an Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund), QIA TMT Holding (an investment vehicle of the Qatar Investment Authority), and LionTree Investment Fund.

In Tuesday’s filing, Paramount Skydance also said it “believes the Warrants support its longer term objective of a wider and deeper public float.”

Paramount Skydance said the PSKY shares to be issued in the equity syndication investors “are non-voting” and that “the Ellison family and RedBird together will continue to hold the largest equity stake in PSKY and will continue to be the sole owners of PSKY Class A Common Stock, representing 100% of the voting shares of PSKY.” Furthermore, according to the company, the sale of the shares to the syndication investors “are structured to comply with all applicable U.S. regulatory requirements (including FCC requirements), and will not impact the timing or likelihood of closing under the [Warner Bros. Discovery] Merger Agreement.”

Paramount and WBD expect the merger to close in the third quarter of 2026. If Paramount’s WBD takeover has not closed by Sept. 30, 2026, Paramount has agreed to pay WBD shareholders a 25-cent-per-share “ticking fee” for each quarter (measured daily) until closing. That would add another roughly $650 million to the deal’s price tag on a quarterly basis.

The Ellisons and RedBird are offering the private placement investment in Paramount Skydance’s Class B Common Stock at $16.02 per share.