Barry Diller Would Buy CNN Today If Possible
The Hollywood Reporter • • business
Key Points:
- Media mogul Barry Diller expressed strong interest in acquiring CNN amid Paramount’s $111 billion deal for Warner Bros. Discovery, stating he would buy the news brand immediately to prevent further decline.
- Diller believes CNN is "ripe" for innovation, noting it has not seen significant change in nearly a decade, but fears it may face severe cuts under Paramount’s cost-reduction efforts.
- He previously contacted Warner Bros. Discovery about acquiring CNN and remains uncertain how Paramount will manage the integration and cost-cutting of its new assets.
- Diller also revealed he considered a deal for Vox Media, which seems likely to be acquired by James Murdoch’s Lupa Systems.
- Reflecting on the media landscape, Diller stated Hollywood studios will become smaller and less dominant, now overshadowed by technology companies controlling the industry’s future.
