Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group chief Tom Rothman has found himself at the center of Hollywood’s biggest takeover drama, weighing in as Netflix and Paramount battle to buy Warner Bros. Discovery. His comments, delivered just as Sony celebrates a strong theatrical run for Kpop Demon Hunters, frame the bidding war as a referendum on the future of moviegoing itself. For an executive who has long championed cinemas, Rothman’s reaction to the rival suitors offers a revealing snapshot of how traditional studios view the streaming giants now circling one of Hollywood’s crown jewels.
Rothman’s remarks also arrive as Sony Group distances itself from the acquisition frenzy, even while its films compete directly with the franchises at stake. That combination of outsider status and deep industry experience gives his perspective unusual weight, especially as Warner Bros Discovery’s board leans toward Netflix and away from a richer cash offer from Paramount Skydance Corp.
Rothman’s praise for Netflix and Paramount, and Sony’s outsider stance
Tom Rothman has been careful to cast both Netflix and Paramount as credible stewards of a legacy studio, stressing that the bidders “understand the value of the theatrical window.” In recent comments tied to the $19M No. 1 weekend for Kpop Demon Hunters, he pointed to Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos as an example of a streaming leader who now sees box office as a core part of the business, not an afterthought, signaling that even digital-first players recognize the upside of putting movies in theaters before they hit home screens. That framing turns the Warner Bros contest into validation of the big-screen model Rothman has spent years defending.
Rothman’s tone toward Paramount has been similarly respectful, grouping the studio with Netflix as a bidder that grasps how cinemas can amplify a film’s long-term value. In his view, the fact that both suitors are talking up theatrical runs rather than bypassing them suggests the market has moved closer to Sony’s own strategy, which has leaned on global box office for franchises while cutting flexible licensing deals with streamers. His comments, captured in coverage of Sony’s Tom Rothman and echoed in analysis of how Bidders Netflix and Paramount talk about cinemas, underline that he sees the takeover fight as proof that theatrical is no longer a bargaining chip but a prerequisite for owning a major studio.
At the same time, Rothman has been explicit that Sony Group is not joining the chase. In a discussion shared among deal-watchers, he backed the stance of the Sony Group leadership and its CEO that the company has “no desire to buy Warner Bros. Discovery,” even as the rest of Hollywood speculates about white-knight alternatives. That position, highlighted in a Sony Group thread that noted 62 upvotes and 39 comments, reinforces Sony’s preference for remaining a major content supplier rather than a consolidator, leaving Netflix and Paramount to fight over Warner Bros Discovery’s vast library.
Inside the Warner Bros Discovery bidding war and Netflix’s edge
The backdrop to Rothman’s commentary is a high-stakes contest for control of Warner Bros Discovery that has reshaped expectations for media consolidation. Since late 2025, the company, often shortened to WBD, has fielded multiple acquisition overtures, culminating in a proposed transaction that would hand the storied Warner Bros studio to Netflix under a merger agreement. That deal, described in detail in the Proposed acquisition outline, has become the benchmark against which all rival bids are measured, even as Paramount Skydance Corp tries to outmuscle the streamer with a richer offer.
Paramount Skydance Corp has not been shy about putting a premium on the table. In a closely watched move, it raised its hostile takeover proposal to $108.4 billion, a figure that instantly grabbed attention across Wall Street and Hollywood. Yet Warner Bros Discovery’s board responded by unanimously rejecting the revised offer and reaffirming its support for Netflix’s lower-priced deal, a stance captured in coverage of how Warner Bros Discovery weighed the $108.4 billion bid against its existing agreement. A separate report on the board’s decision to reject an amended Paramount Skydance Corp offer and encourage shareholders to back Netflix’s approach, detailed in a Warner Bros update, underscored that price alone is not the only factor in play.
Netflix, for its part, has moved to reassure investors and regulators that it is committed to the merger on the agreed terms. Under the arrangement announced in early December, the company plans to acquire Warner Bros in a transaction valued at $82.7 billion on an equity basis, a figure it has publicly defended as fair and sustainable. In a statement of support for the Warner Bros Discovery board’s decision to stick with the pact, Netflix emphasized that, under the deal structure, it would integrate the studio while preserving key creative operations, a message laid out in its Under the merger explanation. That long-term framing dovetails with Rothman’s argument that Netflix now sees theatrical releases as a strategic asset rather than a concession to legacy partners.
Golden Globes optics and what Rothman’s comments signal for Hollywood
The symbolism of Rothman’s remarks was amplified by the setting. He spoke around the Golden Globes, where the Golden Globes Winners List highlighted that Paul Thomas Anderson Takes Best Director and Screenplay, a reminder that prestige filmmakers still rely on theatrical campaigns to build awards momentum. Rothman, often referred to simply as Rothman in industry shorthand, used the moment to joke about his own lack of trophies while stressing that Sony’s focus is on giving filmmakers a robust cinema launch before any streaming window, a stance that aligns with the way the Golden Globes Winners still functions as a showcase for theatrical contenders. By tying the Warner Bros sale drama to an event celebrating big-screen achievements, he implicitly argued that any new owner must nurture that ecosystem.
Rothman’s stance also clarifies Sony’s strategic lane. While Netflix and Paramount fight for scale, Sony Pictures is positioning itself as a nimble producer that can sell films to any platform while keeping cinemas at the center of its release plans. Coverage of how Sony Pictures balances franchises with filmmaker-driven projects shows a company comfortable letting others absorb the risk of mega-mergers. For now, Rothman appears content to applaud that Bidders Netflix and Paramount “understand the value of the theatrical window,” while betting that Sony’s independence, and its ability to partner with whichever buyer ultimately controls Warner Bros, will prove just as valuable as owning a sprawling media empire.
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