Paramount Skydance has disclosed that just under half of its post-merger ownership will be held by foreign investors, as part of a regulatory filing tied to its planned merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.
In paperwork submitted Monday to the Federal Communications Commission, the company is seeking approval for the foreign ownership, noting that foreign stakeholders would collectively own 49.5% of the merged entity. Paramount framed the structure as a strategic advantage, pointing to expanded access to funding.
A significant portion of that ownership—38.5%—would be held by three Middle Eastern investment funds. Among them, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund will hold the largest share with a 15.1% equity stake, followed by United Arab Emirates’ sovereign wealth fund at 12.8%, and the Qatar Investment Authority at 10.6%. Altogether, the three investors are contributing approximately $24 billion to the combined company.
Paramount noted that these overseas investors will not hold voting control, describing them as passive financial backers. Although Paramount is seeking to authorize the foreign ownership, a company spokesperson said that securing this approval is not required for the merger to be completed.
Paramount has already overcome a key step in its proposed merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, after shareholders voted in favor of the roughly $111 billion deal last week, as expected. The transaction still awaits clearance from European regulators, and could also face potential legal challenges from state attorneys general in the U.S.
If the merger is not closed by September 30, Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders are slated to receive a “ticking fee” of $0.25 per share each quarter.
Featured image: Mario Tama/Getty Images
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