Paramount-WBD seeks FCC approval for 49.5% foreign ownership

The merged Paramount-WBD media empire has asked federal regulators to approve foreign ownership approaching 50 percent, with three Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds providing the bulk of the capital. According to an FCC filing first reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund will hold 15.1 percent of non-voting equity shares in the company, while Abu Dhabi's L'Imad fund and Qatar Investment Authority will own 12.8 percent and 10.6 percent respectively.

The three funds collectively control 38.5 percent of Paramount equity, The MMA Draw reported Monday. An additional 11 percent comes from other foreign investors, pushing total foreign ownership to 49.5 percent and well above the 25 percent cap that typically triggers FCC review. Paramount legal chief Makan Delrahim signed the petition for declaratory ruling, which emphasises that Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, his son David Ellison, and RedBird Capital will retain all voting shares.

What the Paramount deal means for UFC broadcast rights

The structure matters for MMA because Paramount holds the UFC's media rights through a deal signed last August worth a reported $7.7 billion over multiple years. The new conglomerate will also control CBS, CNN, HBO, and Warner Brothers. The three Middle Eastern funds reportedly provided $24 billion in backing for the Warner Bros Discovery acquisition, per The Hollywood Reporter's disclosure of the FCC filing.

Paramount requested that the commission approve up to 100 percent foreign equity or voting ownership as a procedural maneuver, though the company stated it has no current plans to reach that threshold. The FCC under chair Brendan Carr and the Trump administration will decide whether to grant the waiver. Oracle's stock has dropped 40 percent from its fall peak, and the company carries heavy debt loads as it competes in cloud computing and AI infrastructure.

Source: themmadraw.com