The excitement across the sale of all or a part of Paramount International took an enormous step in the present day, and it might have a huge impact on Star Trek. Earlier this 12 months, it was reported that the non-public fairness agency Apollo International had expressed curiosity in Paramount International, and in the present day the Wall Avenue Journal is reporting they’ve put in a proper bid, however not for all of Paramount International.
$11 Billion for the studios
Based on the WSJ report, Apollo International Administration has made an $11 billion bid for Paramount International’s movie and TV studios. Whereas it didn’t get into specifics, this may presumably embrace all of Paramount International’s manufacturing studios, together with Paramount Footage, who produce Star Trek characteristic movies, and CBS Studios, who produce Star Trek tv exhibits and technically personal the rights to Star Trek.
The $11 billion bid could be paying a premium, as it’s greater than the $9 billion market worth for all of Paramount International, however it will presumably embrace all of the mental property owned by these studios. Apollo is outwardly not within the CBS broadcast community, cable channels (like MTV and Comedy Central), or streaming providers (Pluto and Paramount Plus).
Paramount Footage studio gate in Hollywood
Apollo International is an enormous non-public fairness agency with property valued over $1/2 trillion. The agency focuses on “different property,” which regularly embrace distressed firms. It has a document of turning round firms, comparable to when it bought Hostess out of chapter in 2013, turning the corporate round and promoting it for an enormous revenue later. It presently has quite a lot of media holdings, together with Cox Media Group and a minority stake in Legendary Leisure, makers of the hit Dune motion pictures.
Paramount International inventory jumped nearly 12% in the present day with information of the Apollo bid, which is seen as an excellent deal for traders. Based on the Wall Avenue Journal, a particular committee is assessing totally different potential offers for the board of Paramount International. A kind of is a reported bid to merge David Ellison’s Skydance manufacturing firm with Paramount, however that deal could be structured a lot in another way, through buying Shari Redstone’s Nationwide Amusements and due to this fact getting her controlling curiosity in Paramount International.
Many questions stay for Star Trek
At this level, many particulars are nonetheless unclear about Apollo’s bid and its chance of being authorized by the board. Any of those huge offers for all or a part of Paramount International might take effectively over a 12 months to be finalized.
Regardless, any deal would probably affect the way forward for the Star Trek franchise and naturally Paramount Plus, the present residence to (nearly all) of the brand new authentic Star Trek tv exhibits. If Paramount Plus continues to exist (or presumably fashioned a three way partnership just like the one not too long ago proposed with Comcast), the streaming service might proceed to license Star Trek content material together with commissioning new seasons and sequence. Or Apollo-owned Paramount Studios might probably license new and legacy Star Trek tv sequence to different streamers or networks. And it’s even potential each might occur. However once more, these impacts might not be felt for years.
TrekMovie will proceed to observe the enterprise information that would have an effect on Star Trek and do our greatest to maintain followers updated.