Sony Pictures and private equity firm interested in buying Paramount for $26 billion, AP source says

Sony Footage and the personal fairness agency Apollo World Administration have expressed curiosity in shopping for Paramount World for $26 billion, in response to an individual conversant in the small print.

Sony could be the bulk shareholder and Apollo would have a minority stake, in response to the particular person, who requested anonymity as a result of particulars of the supply haven’t been made public.

The Sony-Apollo supply was first reported by The Wall Road Journal. The Journal reported beforehand that Apollo had made a proposal to purchase Paramount by itself however Paramount’s board had issues concerning the bid, together with whether or not it might prepare financing for a deal.

The Journal and others have reported that Paramount is contemplating a potential merger with Skydance, David Ellison’s media firm that has helped produce such Paramount releases as “Prime Gun: Maverick” and “Mission: Inconceivable – Useless Reckoning.”

Earlier this week, New York-based Paramount mentioned that Bob Bakish would step down as CEO of the movie, tv and multimedia firm, to get replaced by a troika of executives who will kind a brand new “Workplace of the CEO.”