That’s largely because Warner Bros. Discovery operates on a smaller scale in India compared to other international markets, experts observed. Globally, if the company proceeds to sell all or select assets, the deal could lead to major structural changes within the organisation.
The company distributes much of its content in India through its licensing deal with JioCinema, now known as JioHotstar. Through a collaboration with Tata Play, it recently launched Cartoon Network Forever, an ad-free platform featuring Tom & Jerry and Scooby-Doo, among others. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Pictures signed an exclusive five-film agreement with Bhanushali Studios and JOAT Films to produce Indian adaptations of its titles.
“The impact in India, from an employee standpoint, will be heavy only if (The Walt) Disney or Sony buys any portion of Warner Bros. Discovery. Otherwise, the effect will be minimal,” said producer Shariq Patel. “If Disney or Sony decides to buy the company, its channels will likely merge with their existing streaming or broadcast platforms, directly affecting operations in India. But if private investors or a company like Apple acquire it, things should continue largely as they are.”
Another industry expert said that while the global entertainment sector is undergoing consolidation, India has already seen a major merger through JioStar, now the country’s largest media conglomerate.
“Overall, in both the over-the-top (OTT) and linear television (TV) spaces, the impact won’t be significant. Even if other global players acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, there won’t be major changes in the Indian market, as the potential bidders themselves don’t have a strong presence here,” the expert said.
So far, names like David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance, streaming giant Netflix, Comcast, and Sony Entertainment have surfaced among the possible suitors for Warner Bros. Discovery, according to media reports.
Vivek Menon, managing partner at NV Capital — a media and entertainment fund — said Ellison, who became the majority shareholder of Paramount following its $8 billion merger with Skydance, is interested in acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery. He added that if Paramount Skydance succeeds, it could expand into India within the next couple of years, as the market is “the right place” for the company’s next phase of growth. Recently, Warner Bros. Discovery reportedly turned down a $60 billion takeover offer from Paramount Skydance, according to reports.
“Netflix wouldn’t be keen on Warner Bros. or Discovery’s linear TV business. If they show interest, it’ll be mainly for OTT and HBO content. The overall deal would be expensive, and Sony hasn’t shown much appetite for such a large investment. That leaves Comcast, which could stay in the race — but regulatory hurdles, given its size, might come into play. It also depends on whether Comcast wants to acquire another linear and non-linear competitor, since it already owns Universal Studios, Xfinity, and Peacock TV. In this scenario, it looks like Paramount might go all out to acquire this asset,” Menon added.
This follows Warner Bros. Discovery’s October 21 announcement that its board of directors had “initiated a review of strategic alternatives to maximise shareholder value”, citing unsolicited interest from multiple parties in acquiring either the entire company or Warner Bros. alone.
The company said it has not set a deadline or definitive timetable for completing the review.
“Through this process, the Warner Bros. Discovery Board will evaluate a broad range of strategic options, including continuing to advance the company’s planned separation to completion by mid-2026, a transaction for the entire company, or separate transactions for its Warner Bros. and/or Discovery Global businesses. The company will also consider an alternative separation structure that could enable a merger of Warner Bros. and a spin-off of Discovery Global to shareholders,” the company said in a release.
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