Given the health issues surrounding Sumner Redstone and the management conflicts hitting Viacom, I am surprised that it has taken this long for the sharks to circle Viacom. But such seems to be the case with news that folks are looking at pieces of the company. That piece is Paramount Studios, a once proud film making company that has had a hard time finding financial hits. Spongebob is not as popular as Dory it seems.
According to Bloomberg, "Chinese billionaire Wang Jianlin’s Dalian Wanda Group Co. is in talks to buy 49 percent of Paramount Pictures from the company." Whether such a deal gets approved remains to be seen but it shows that the company is having problems. Still, if Redstone has any control left, why wouldn't he try to see his other company, CBS, take back Viacom and help recharge its engines. With Comedy Central and Nickelodeon still valuable cable networks and a storied history from Paramount, the hope is that there is still value left to unlock. New management for Viacom may be the answer and CBS could use the assets to stay strong and competitive against NBC and ABC.
