Colbert Criticizes CBS for Blocking Interview
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 18 2026
0mins
Should l Buy PSKY?
Source: CNBC
- Show Blocked: Colbert accused CBS of blocking his broadcast of Texas Rep. Talarico's interview, labeling CBS's statement as 'crap' and urging the network to stand up against 'bullies' in the Trump administration.
- Legal Intervention: CBS lawyers informed Colbert that airing the interview could violate new FCC guidelines requiring adherence to the equal time provision, resulting in the show's inability to air as planned.
- Social Media Impact: Despite the interview not airing on television, the video garnered over 4.4 million views on YouTube, indicating significant public interest and support for Talarico, which could influence the outcome of the Texas Democratic primary.
- Political Context: This incident occurs amid Paramount's hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, potentially affecting the company's relationship with the Trump administration and its political stance in Texas.
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Analyst Views on PSKY
Wall Street analysts forecast PSKY stock price to rise
15 Analyst Rating
1 Buy
7 Hold
7 Sell
Moderate Sell
Current: 10.160
Low
8.00
Averages
14.08
High
19.00
Current: 10.160
Low
8.00
Averages
14.08
High
19.00
About PSKY
Paramount Skydance Corp, formerly New Pluto Global, Inc., is a holding company. It operates through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Paramount Global (Paramount) and Skydance Media, LLC (Skydance). Paramount is a global media, streaming and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Its consumer brands include CBS, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, Paramount+ and Pluto TV. In addition to offering streaming services and digital video products, it also provides production, distribution and advertising solutions. Skydance is a diversified media company focused on creating event-level entertainment for global audiences. Skydance develops, finances and produces live-action and animated films, television shows, sports content and interactive games worldwide. Skydance has also produced 31 seasons of live-action and animated television content across 16 series and supplies content across a range of platforms.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Earnings Miss: Paramount Skydance reported a Q4 non-GAAP EPS of -$0.12, missing expectations by $0.11, indicating significant challenges in profitability that could undermine investor confidence.
- Revenue Shortfall: The company's Q4 revenue of $8.15 billion fell short of expectations by $20 million, reflecting weak market demand and increasing competitive pressures that may impact future investment decisions.
- Regulatory Scrutiny: U.S. state attorneys general are urging the DOJ to properly scrutinize the Netflix-Warner deal, highlighting a growing regulatory environment around large mergers that could affect the pace and nature of industry consolidation.
- Competitive Landscape: Paramount Skydance is fighting against Warner's board to block the Netflix deal, illustrating the intense dynamics in the streaming competition, which may influence the company's market strategy and future growth trajectory.
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- Acquisition Withdrawal: Netflix has abandoned its bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, as it found the financial requirements to match Paramount Skydance's latest offer of $31 per share unattractive, opting instead to invest approximately $20 billion in its own content slate this year.
- Rival Advantage: Warner Bros. Discovery's board deemed Paramount's proposal superior, with CEO David Zaslav expressing optimism about the combined business's prospects, highlighting the intensifying competition and market consolidation within the industry.
- Positive Market Reaction: Following the announcement of its withdrawal, Netflix shares surged by 13% in after-hours trading, indicating investor approval of the decision, while Warner Bros. stock fell as the prospect of a bidding war diminished, reflecting market sensitivity to acquisition dynamics.
- Shareholder Victory: Activist investor Ancora Holdings described the outcome as a victory for Warner Bros. shareholders and the broader industry, suggesting that shareholder interests were better protected amid the high-stakes acquisition contest.
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- Escalating Acquisition Costs: Paramount has raised its offer for Warner Bros. to $31 per share, totaling $111 billion, while also committing to a $2.8 billion breakup fee to Netflix, raising concerns about the long-term viability of this massive debt load.
- Positive Market Reaction: Following Paramount's acquisition announcement, Netflix shares rose 2.3% and an additional 8.5% in after-hours trading, while Paramount's stock gained 10% and 4.7%, indicating initial market optimism regarding the deal.
- Debt Burden Concerns: Despite Paramount's claims of an easier path to regulatory approval, market sentiment is wary of its $110 billion debt burden, with retail investors expressing fears of potential bankruptcy in the future on social media platforms.
- Industry Consolidation Risks: Commentators warn that Paramount's acquisition could lead to unprecedented layoffs and consolidation in Hollywood, suggesting that the company's ability to manage Warner Bros. effectively is questionable and may lead to significant operational challenges.
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- Acquisition Offer Rejected: Netflix announced it will not raise its acquisition offer for Warner Bros. Discovery, as Warner's Board deemed Paramount Skydance's latest proposal a 'Superior Proposal', rendering Netflix's deal financially unattractive.
- Strategic Decision: Netflix stated that while its negotiated transaction could have created shareholder value and had a clear path to regulatory approval, the current price made the deal less appealing, demonstrating the company's disciplined approach to acquisitions.
- Growth Plans: Netflix emphasized its strong and organically growing business, planning to invest around $20 billion in quality films and series to enhance its entertainment offerings and resume its share repurchase program.
- Stock Price Surge: Following the announcement to decline the acquisition, Netflix shares gained approximately 9.4% in after-hours trading, reaching $92.53, reflecting market confidence in the company's future growth potential.
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- Acquisition Plan Canceled: Netflix announced on Thursday that it has abandoned its plan to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, a move that could impact its content expansion strategy and create uncertainty in future content investments.
- Market Reaction: The news has drawn market attention, with Netflix's stock potentially facing pressure due to the lack of synergies from the acquisition, which may weaken investor confidence in its future growth prospects.
- Competitive Landscape Shift: The abandonment of the acquisition allows Warner Bros. Discovery to maintain its independence in the streaming market, potentially affecting Netflix's position in content competition, especially in the battle for high-budget original content.
- Need for Strategic Reevaluation: Netflix must reassess its content acquisition and production strategies to address the intensifying market competition and ensure its leadership position in the streaming industry.
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- Bidding Update: Netflix announced it would not raise its counteroffer for Warner Bros. Discovery, effectively allowing Paramount's revised cash bid of $31 per share to take center stage, indicating a strategic shift and investor preference for clarity in bidding processes.
- Market Reaction: Following Netflix's announcement, its shares surged over 10% in after-hours trading, while Paramount's stock rose by 5%, reflecting investor optimism about the deal's prospects, despite a 1.39% decline in WBD's stock price.
- CEO Remarks: WBD CEO David Zaslav stated that the Paramount merger agreement would create
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