Revised Skydance offer would let Paramount shareholders cash out at $15/shr, WSJ reports

(Reuters) – Skydance Media last week revised its offer for Paramount Global to buy up to a certain number of non-voting Paramount shares at $15 each, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday citing people familiar with the matter.

The new proposal values Paramount B-shares at a roughly 26% premium to Friday’s close, the report added.

Paramount declined to comment on the report while Skydance did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

A special committee of Paramount’s board agreed to recommend a deal with Skydance Media after its sweetened offer last week, the Wall Street Journal separately reported on Friday.

Skydance submitted a sweetened offer for its proposed merger with Paramount which is said to offer improved terms for both voting and non-voting Paramount shareholders, and provides more cash, a source told Reuters on Thursday.

Skydance has spent months in negotiations with Paramount.

Meanwhile, a rival bidder, Sony (NYSE:) Pictures Entertainment, in partnership with Apollo Global Management (NYSE:), emerged late in the deal process, submitting a non-binding all-cash offer of $26 billion. It has since backed away from that initial proposal in favor of a more limited approach.