Media Titans: Murdochs vs Ellisons

Recent news indicates David Ellison's Paramount Skydance has launched a hostile bid for the entire Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) company, challenging Netflix's prior offer.

Assuming David Ellison's Paramount Skydance succeeded in acquiring the entire Warner Bros. Discovery (including the Global Networks division), the combined company would control an unprecedented array of media assets. As you might have noticed from his last name, David Ellison is Oracle CEO and world's second richest person Larry Ellison's son.

Here is a list of the major combined media assets, categorized for clarity:

Television Networks & Cable Channels

The merger would combine the vast TV portfolios of both companies, creating a massive cable and broadcast footprint.

Film & Television Studios

The combined company would own two of Hollywood's "Big Six" major film studios and powerhouse TV production houses.

• Film Studios:
  • Warner Bros. Pictures Group (including Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation)
  • Paramount Motion Pictures Group (including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Players, Republic Pictures)
• Television Studios:
  • Warner Bros. Television Group (including Warner Bros. Television Studios, Warner Horizon Unscripted, Telepictures, Alloy Entertainment)
  • CBS Studios (including Big Ticket Television, CBS Media Ventures)
  • Paramount Television Studios (including Skydance Television, MTV Entertainment Studios, Nickelodeon Productions)
  • Skydance Productions (Skydance Media's TV/Film production arm)
• Animation Studios:
  • Warner Bros. Animation
  • Cartoon Network Studios
  • Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe
  • Nickelodeon Animation Studio
  • Skydance Animation

Streaming Services

The combined entity would instantly become a streaming behemoth with multiple major platforms.

• Flagship SVOD: HBO Max (Likely absorbing Paramount+ and Discovery+ into one super-service, potentially keeping the HBO Max branding or rebranding entirely)
• Ad-Supported/FAST: Pluto TV (One of the largest Free Ad-supported Streaming TV platforms)
• Niche/International: Discovery+, BET+, Paramount+ (Likely consolidated into HBO Max), CNN app, CBS Sports HQ, My5 (UK), 10 Play (Australia).
  

Content Libraries, Franchises, & IP

This would be arguably the most valuable part of the merger, creating a library unmatched by any competitor outside of Disney.

Other Assets

• Publishing/Comics: DC Comics, MAD magazine
• Gaming: Warner Bros. Games (Mortal Kombat, Batman: Arkham, Hogwarts Legacy) and Skydance Interactive
• Websites/Digital: CNET, ZDNet, GameSpot, Metacritic, Bleacher Report
• International: Channel 5 (UK), Network 10 (Australia), Telefe (Argentina), Chilevisión (Chile)
• Theatrical: Ownership stakes in cinema ventures like Showcase Cinemas and UCI Cinemas (Brazil).

This combined entity would be a behemoth, essentially merging the historic studios and content libraries of Warner Bros., HBO, Paramount, CBS, and the massive unscripted/cable library of Discovery and Viacom, creating a single, enormous competitor to companies like Disney and Netflix.

The new titans

If David Ellison's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) succeeds, the Ellison family empire will be significantly larger than the Murdoch family empire by nearly every financial and operational metric.

While the Murdochs have been the dominant media dynasty for decades, this deal would mark the official passing of the torch to a new, tech-backed dynasty.

Here is the breakdown of how the two "empires" compare in terms of Wealth, Media Scale, and Influence.

Financial Firepower (Net Worth)

The most staggering difference is in the raw capital backing the two families. David Ellison’s ambitions are supported by the immense wealth of his father, Larry Ellison (Oracle founder).

• The Ellison Family:
  • Net Worth: ~$360 Billion+ (Larry Ellison is currently ranked the world’s #2 richest person as of late 2025).
  • Source: Primary wealth is derived from Oracle (Market Cap ~$620 Billion). This tech wealth allows them to make all-cash offers that legacy media families cannot match.
• The Murdoch Family:
  • Net Worth: ~$24 Billion (Rupert Murdoch & Family).
  • Source: Derived from Fox Corp and News Corp. While incredibly wealthy, they lack the "sovereign nation" level of capital that the Ellisons possess.

Winner: Ellison (by a factor of ~15x)

Media Footprint (Revenue & Assets)

If David Ellison combines Paramount Skydance with Warner Bros. Discovery, he creates a media giant that dwarfs the current Murdoch holdings (which were significantly reduced after they sold 21st Century Fox to Disney in 2019).

Winner: Ellison (by a factor of ~2.5x)

• The Difference: The Murdochs are now primarily a News & Sports business. The Ellison entity would be a Content Engine controlling the two most historic film studios in Hollywood and a massive streaming portfolio.

Cultural & Political Influence

This is the only category where the contest remains competitive.

• The Murdoch Empire: Despite being smaller financially, the Murdochs arguably retain more direct political influence in the US and UK through Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, and The Times (UK). They shape the daily political conversation in a way entertainment studios do not.
• The Ellison Empire: This new entity would control culture. By owning the DC Universe, Harry Potter, Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, and HBO, they control the stories the world watches. Additionally, owning CNN and CBS News gives them a massive news footprint, though these networks typically wield less partisan power than Fox News.

Summary

The Ellison Empire is the clear victor in size. The era of the "media mogul" who built a fortune solely on newspapers and TV stations (like Murdoch or Redstone) is effectively over. The Ellison empire represents the new era: Tech-funded media consolidation. Think Elon Musk and X/Twitter, or Jeff Bezos and Washington Post.

With a $108 billion enterprise value on the WBD deal alone, David Ellison isn't just building a media company; he is buying a legacy that took the Warner, Paramount, and Redstone families a century to build, and he is doing it with a checkbook the Murdochs can no longer match.