CNN may not be a priority in the Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery deal

On ‘The Poynter Report Podcast,’ Axios’ Sara Fischer explains why streaming, scale and sports are driving the deal

The biggest media story so far in 2026 has been Paramount Skydance acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery, which includes CNN.

But, at the end of the day, while Paramount and CEO David Ellison are getting CNN, the cable news network isn’t among their top priorities.

On the latest episode of “The Poynter Report Podcast,” Axios media correspondent Sara Fischer tells me, “I think CNN is at the bottom of the totem pole in terms of what they’re focused on. I think the most important thing for them is, in the short term, getting regulatory approval. And then, in the medium term, how they maximize synergies and opportunities in combining the companies. I know they want to combine the tech stacks of their streamers. That is a very, very top priority for them.”