Netflix Inc (NASDAQ:NFLX, XETRA:NFC) has restructured part of the financing for its proposed acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery Inc (NASDAQ:WBD, XETRA:J5A), while Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison has provided a personal guarantee to support a competing Paramount Skydance (NASDAQ:PSKY) bid, moves aimed at assuring WBD’s board and shareholders that both offers are fully funded.
Warner Bros last week rejected Paramount’s offer in favor of a deal with Netflix.
Netflix initially secured a roughly $59 billion short-term bridge loan to back its mostly cash-and-stock proposal. The company has now replaced part of that bridge with $5 billion in revolving credit and about $20 billion in delayed-draw term loans, leaving roughly $34 billion still to be syndicated to other lenders.
According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Monday, the refinancing is intended to demonstrate more stable, lower-cost funding for the deal. Wells Fargo, BNP Paribas, and HSBC are among the banks involved.
In the rival bid, Paramount/Skydance has offered an all-cash deal valued at approximately $108 billion, or $30 per share, but WBD had expressed concerns about the structure of more than $40 billion of the equity financing.
Ellison on Monday stepped in with an irrevocable personal guarantee covering about $40.4 billion, using his wealth, including a significant Oracle stake, as a backstop.
Paramount also increased its reverse breakup fee to $5.8 billion and enhanced certain operational flexibilities in its proposed merger agreement.
“Paramount has repeatedly demonstrated its commitment to acquiring WBD,” David Ellison, Paramount CEO and Larry’s son, said in a statement. “Our $30 per share, fully financed all-cash offer was on December 4th, and continues to be, the superior option to maximize value for WBD shareholders.”
Warner Bros shares added 3% on the news, Netflix was down 0.7%, while Paramount Skydance stock surged more than 7%.