CNN anchor Jake Tapper emotionally told viewers on Thursday’s episode of “The Lead” that Paramount Skydance is about to buy Warner Bros. Discovery and potentially CNN.
On Thursday, Netflix said it would not match Paramount’s $111 billion offer for WBD. Netflix made a tentative deal to buy most of WBD, including HBO and the Warner Bros. movie studio, but not CNN. Paramount then made a counteroffer, and Netflix chose not to offer more. The U.S. and Europe will need to approve the purchase.
But according to reports, Paramount CEO David Ellison told the Trump administration that he would “make sweeping changes to CNN” if his company bought it. President Donald Trump spoke out about the drama in the media industry and said that “CNN must be sold.” Trump has been complaining about the network for a long time, saying that it is unfair to him.
When the news broke, Tapper came back from a break and told viewers that Netflix had dropped its bid and that Paramount was now the highest bidder for Warner Bros. and HBO. He also mentioned that Paramount wanted to buy CNN:
“So we have some breaking news in our national lead that affects everybody I’m looking at right now in the studio,” Tapper began.
“Moments ago, Netflix said it is declining to raise its offer for the purchase of Warner Bros. Studios and HBO, following the Warner Bros. Discovery board’s determination that Paramount, which is not just going for Warner Bros. Studios and HBO, but also the whole enchilada, including us here at CNN, Paramount has submitted a superior offer according to Warner Bros. Discovery’s board. As I’ve noted, Warner Bros. Discovery is the parent company of CNN,” Tapper said.
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Ellison’s Skydance bought Paramount and its subsidiary CBS last year. After the move, Ellison and Bari Weiss, who started the anti-woke Free Press, made a deal. Weiss got $150 million for the website and was named editor-in-chief of CBS News.
This also comes as CNN’s ratings have been plunging for well over a year while Fox News has been dominating viewership.
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Fox News finished February by beating CBS in primetime viewership for the month, making it one of its best months since March 2025.
FNC had an average of 2.6 million viewers in primetime from Monday to Sunday, while CBS had 2.4 million viewers. This was the lowest February performance for the broadcast network since 2000.
Fox News had 3.1 million viewers on weeknights and 316,000 adults aged 25 to 54, which is the demographic that advertisers want. CBS only had 2 million viewers and 278,000 adults aged 25 to 54. This was the first time in 2026 that FNC beat CBS in both categories.
FNC had 1.7 million viewers during the whole day and was the most popular cable news channel among Hispanic and wealthy viewers during primetime. All of the month’s top 100 cable news shows were also on the network, and every show in its weekday lineup had its best month since at least September.
In the meantime, CBS had its worst primetime month since the turn of the century, with “CBS Evening News,” “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” and “CBS Mornings” all getting the lowest ratings in February history. During primetime this century, ABC also had its lowest-rated February among the key demo.
“Special Report with Bret Baier,” FNC’s nightly news show, had an average of more than 3.1 million viewers and 289,000 viewers in the 25-54 age group. This was the most-watched month since March 2025.
The show beat “CBS Evening News” in 14 major markets, including New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. It also beat ABC’s “World News Tonight” in markets like New Orleans and Jacksonville.
“The Five” was the most popular show on TV at 5 p.m. ET, with more than 4 million viewers and 337,000 in the 25-54 demo.
It beat out ABC’s “911 Nashville” and NBC’s “Happy’s Place.” “Jesse Watters Primetime” had 3.4 million viewers and 329,000 in the demo at 8 p.m. ET, making it the most popular primetime show. It was just ahead of ABC’s “20/20.”
FNC also did well late at night. “Gutfeld!” stayed on top of both broadcast and cable, with over 3 million viewers and 347,000 in the 25-54 age group. It beat out shows like ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and CBS’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
The morning shows on Fox News were still very popular with viewers. “FOX & Friends” ended February with 1.4 million viewers, making it the No. 1 cable news morning show for 60 months in a row in the 25-54 age group, beating CNN and MS NOW combined.
In 20 major markets, “FOX & Friends” beat “CBS Mornings” and in several key cities, it beat “Good Morning America” on ABC and “Today” on NBC.
Daytime shows kept getting more popular, with “America’s Newsroom,” “The Faulkner Focus,” “Outnumbered,” “America Reports,” and “The Story with Martha MacCallum” all getting about 2 million viewers or more. At 4 p.m. ET, “The Will Cain Show” continued to grow, drawing 2.3 million viewers.
