Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison has stepped in to personally guarantee $40.4 billion in Paramount Skydance’s latest effort to pry Warner Bros Discovery away from selling its prized Hollywood assets to streaming giant Netflix.

The guarantee, disclosed in a filing on Monday, seeks to allay the Warner Bros board’s doubts about Paramount’s financing and the lack of full Ellison family backing, which had pushed it toward the competing cash-and-stock offer from Netflix.

Here’s what analysts and market experts are saying about the latest development:

SETH SHAFER, PRINCIPAL ANALYST AT S&P GLOBAL, NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

“I don’t think the revised bid from Paramount Skydance significantly alters the current status quo. I doubt many WBD shareholders that are on the fence or planning to vote ‘no’ were holding out due to issues the revised bid addresses such as a guarantee from Larry Ellison on the funding front.”

“We’re still likely months away from a shareholder vote on the Paramount offer and the planned closing date of the deal agreed with Netflix would be in the second half of 2026. There will likely be many more twists and turns ahead and both Paramount and Netflix have a chance.”

MICHAEL PACHTER, MANAGING DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC PLANNING AT WEDBUSH SECURITIES, CALIFORNIA

“The WBD Board rejected the last offer because they thought it was speculative and revocable. This one makes the offer irrevocable and directly addresses the Board’s concern.

“If the board is rational and ethical (a big if), it must accept the offer, since the $108 billion PSKY offered is more than the $83 billion offered by Netflix. We;ll see what the Board does, but PSKY is right to make this offer directly to them.”

“Yes, Paramount has a chance to win, approaching 100%”

ROSS BENES, SENIOR ANALYST AT EMARKETER, NEW YORK

“The updated offer from Paramount doesn’t change the fact that WBD’s executives prefer Netflix. The new offer does make Paramount’s case more compelling to the board and shareholders. But WBD executives will keep fighting to maintain the Netflix deal as long as they can. This battle will be prolonged.”

PAOLO PESCATORE, ANALYST AT PP FORESIGHT, LONDON

“Paramount remains in a precarious position and is making a last-ditch effort to avoid being left out in the shadows. It cannot afford to lose out and be a weaker player compared to its stronger rivals.”

“The improved offer is a step in the right direction, but it is unlikely to be enough.”

REUBEN MILLER, HEAD OF ANTITRUST AT DEALREPORTER, WASHINGTON DC

“The financing from the sovereign wealth funds opens a regulatory box that needs to be checked. Having these players involved will bring another dimension of scrutiny, as well as a big diplomatic question – how far will using money from Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds bring them into partnership with one America’s cultural touchstones?”

“Paramount has claimed that any influence from the funds will be neutralised due to their lack of voting rights, but there are other questions at play which make the picture far murkier. Notably, the access of these funds, as key stakeholders, to WBD and Paramount’s data, as well as the wider diplomatic implications of foreign bodies having a vested stake in such a huge entity in U.S. media production and consumption.”

(Reporting by Kritika Lamba in Bengaluru, compiled by Arpan Varghese; Editing by Anil D’Silva)

The House Committee on Homeland Security has released a “Border Brief” factsheet highlighting record-low border encounters at the start of Fiscal Year 2026. Attributing the success to Trump administration policies and congressional funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill, the report suggests a significant shift in national security and enforcement effectiveness.

Nationwide encounters in October and November 2025 totaled 60,940 — a 28 percent reduction from previous record lows and the lowest start to any fiscal year on record. Specifically, Southwest border apprehensions between ports of entry plummeted to 7,350 in November, representing an 84 percent decrease year-over-year. Daily apprehension averages have dropped by 95 percent compared to the prior administration. Notably, for seven consecutive months, the Border Patrol reported releasing no inadmissible aliens into the interior.

Beyond the numbers, the Committee emphasized targeted enforcement against violent criminals and drug traffickers. Key achievements include:

Vulnerable Populations: The administration located over 62,000 unaccompanied children previously released to unvetted sponsors. Counter-Smuggling: While nationwide fentanyl seizures dropped 45 percent in FY25 — interpreted by officials as a sign of successful deterrence — CBP still seized over 1,500 pounds of the drug in November alone. Maritime Shifts: As land routes become more difficult to navigate, smuggling has shifted toward the sea. This was highlighted by a record Coast Guard seizure of 49,000 pounds of narcotics valued at over $362 million.

“Thanks to the work of our federal law enforcement our borders had yet another month of record low encounters,” GOP House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) said. “The historic investments in border security provided in the One Big Beautiful Bill made these successes possible, and I look forward to continued partnership with the administration to extend these historic successes throughout FY26. The Committee will continue working with the Trump administration to ensure our frontline personnel have the tools, resources, and support they need to carry out their mission and keep our homeland secure.”

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Subcommittee Chairman Michael Guest added, “2025 has been a record year for border security. I’m honored to work with President Trump to keep our border secure now and into 2026. Thank you, President Trump, for keeping your promise to secure the border.”

Recent testimony from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and FBI officials further underscored the focus on ensuring law enforcement has the resources necessary to maintain these security gains.