Slideshow · Entertainment
The 10 Biggest Media Mergers in Hollywood History, Ranked by Billions
On October 6, 2026, Paramount Skydance completed its historic $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, uniting Paramount+ and HBO Max under one roof. Here are the 10 largest studio and entertainment mergers in Hollywood history, ranked by billions.
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15 Oct 2026
The 10 Biggest Media Mergers in Hollywood History, Ranked by Billions 
10. Amazon Acquires MGM Studios ($8.5 Billion) 
9. Viacom And CBS Re-Merge Into ViacomCBS ($11.7 Billion) 
8. Time Inc. Merges With Warner Communications ($14.1 Billion) - AdvertisementSwipe or tap ▶ to continue countdown
7. Disney Acquires Capital Cities/ABC ($19 Billion) 
6. Comcast Acquires NBCUniversal From GE ($30.5 Billion) 
5. Vivendi Buys Seagram's Universal Studios ($34 Billion) 
4. Viacom Acquires CBS Corporation ($35.6 Billion) - AdvertisementSwipe or tap ▶ to continue countdown
3. WarnerMedia And Discovery Merge Into WBD ($43 Billion) 
2. Disney Acquires 21st Century Fox ($71.3 Billion) 
1. Paramount Skydance Buys Warner Bros. Discovery ($110 Billion) - Advertisement🔥 UP NEXT IN THIS SERIES◫ 26 Slides
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On October 6, 2026, Paramount Skydance completed its historic $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, uniting Paramount+ and HBO Max under one roof. Here are the 10 largest studio and entertainment mergers in Hollywood history, ranked by billions.
Swipe or tap ▶ to begin the countdown
©Wikimedia / Steven Lek & Chris Brown
10. Amazon Acquires MGM Studios ($8.5 Billion)
In March 2022, Amazon closed an $8.5 billion deal to acquire Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, bringing more than 4,000 films—including the James Bond, Rocky, and Creed franchises—and 17,000 TV episodes into Prime Video's global catalog.
©Wikimedia / Andy Li
9. Viacom And CBS Re-Merge Into ViacomCBS ($11.7 Billion)
Thirteen years after splitting apart in 2006, corporate cousins Viacom and CBS reunited in an $11.7 billion all-stock merger in December 2019. The deal reconnected Paramount Pictures and MTV's cable networks with the CBS broadcast network.
©Wikimedia / Epicgenius
8. Time Inc. Merges With Warner Communications ($14.1 Billion)
After fending off a hostile $12.2 billion takeover bid from Paramount Communications, Time Inc. merged with Steve Ross's Warner Communications for $14.1 billion in January 1990—uniting Warner Bros. Studios and HBO with Time Inc.'s publishing powerhouse.
©Wikimedia / Paulthelawyer
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Swipe or tap ▶ to resume the countdown.
7. Disney Acquires Capital Cities/ABC ($19 Billion)
Announced in 1995 and completed in February 1996 for $19 billion, Michael Eisner's acquisition of Capital Cities/ABC was then the second-largest corporate takeover in U.S. history—handing Disney the ABC television network and an 80% stake in ESPN.
©Wikimedia / Coolcaesar
6. Comcast Acquires NBCUniversal From GE ($30.5 Billion)
Comcast paid $13.8 billion for a 51% controlling stake in NBCUniversal in 2011 before buying out General Electric's remaining 49% for $16.7 billion in 2013—a $30.5 billion total haul covering Universal Pictures, NBC, and Universal theme parks.
©Wikimedia / David Shankbone
5. Vivendi Buys Seagram's Universal Studios ($34 Billion)
In December 2000, French water-and-media group Vivendi acquired Seagram Company Ltd. in a $34 billion all-stock deal to form Vivendi Universal, taking ownership of both Universal Pictures and the world's largest record company, Universal Music Group.
©Wikimedia / Benoît Prieur
4. Viacom Acquires CBS Corporation ($35.6 Billion)
In May 2000, Sumner Redstone's Viacom completed a $35.6 billion acquisition of its former parent company, CBS Corporation. The transaction combined Paramount Pictures, MTV, and Nickelodeon with the CBS television and Infinity radio networks.
©Wikimedia / Epicgenius
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3. WarnerMedia And Discovery Merge Into WBD ($43 Billion)
Unwinding its costly telecom-entertainment experiment, AT&T spun off WarnerMedia in April 2022 to merge with Discovery, Inc. in a $43 billion transaction led by CEO David Zaslav—combining HBO, Warner Bros., and CNN with Discovery's reality TV empire.
©Wikimedia / Chris Yarzab
2. Disney Acquires 21st Century Fox ($71.3 Billion)
After outbidding Comcast in a fierce 2018–2019 bidding war, Bob Iger's Walt Disney Company paid $71.3 billion for 21st Century Fox's film and television studios—bringing Avatar, X-Men, The Simpsons, FX, and National Geographic under the Disney castle.
©Wikimedia / Alexis Doine
1. Paramount Skydance Buys Warner Bros. Discovery ($110 Billion)
Closed on October 6, 2026, David Ellison's $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery surpassed AT&T–Time Warner ($85.4B) as the largest studio-to-studio merger in Hollywood history (second only in broad media to AOL's ill-fated $165B dot-com buyout in 2001).
©Wikimedia / Antoine Taveneaux
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