A 2023 report said Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) was negotiating to sell about half of its film and television music-publishing assets for an estimated $500 million, with Sony reportedly in the lead. That was a report about negotiations, not confirmation of a completed sale. WBD’s acquisition by Skydance closed on October 6, 2026, but the closing announcement did not say whether the separate music-publishing transaction went ahead.
What did the 2023 report say?
In June 2023, Variety reported that WBD was negotiating to sell around half of its film and television music-publishing assets for approximately $500 million. Sony was reportedly leading the negotiations. The reported price was an estimate during talks, not a confirmed sale price, and the report did not establish that Sony made a purchase.
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The proposed assets were publishing rights associated with music used in film and television. The report did not say that WBD’s films or television programs themselves were being sold as part of the proposal.
Which music and rights were reportedly involved?
The report said the catalog was believed to include music associated with Purple Rain, Evita, Sweeney Todd, Rent, several Batman films, and songs including “As Time Goes By” from Casablanca. Those were reported examples, not a verified inventory. The exact catalog scope and the specific rights under negotiation were unclear.
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Variety also reported that the catalog was then under a multi-year administration deal with Universal Music Publishing. That describes the arrangement reported in 2023; it does not establish who administers the rights now.
Did the sale close?
The available announcements do not establish whether the reported Sony negotiations later closed, changed, or were abandoned. Skydance announced on October 6, 2026, that its acquisition of WBD had closed after required regulatory approvals and satisfaction of customary closing conditions. The closing announcement addresses the WBD acquisition, not the separate music-publishing negotiations.
A SEC-filed announcement says WBD shareholders received $31.01666668 per share in cash and that WBD shares ceased trading on Nasdaq effective October 6, 2026. That is consideration for the WBD acquisition, not a price for the music-publishing assets.
How to distinguish the two reported figures
| Figure | What it refers to | Status and source |
|---|---|---|
| Approximately $500 million | Proposed sale of around half of WBD’s film and television music-publishing assets | Estimated value reported during 2023 negotiations by Variety; not confirmed as a completed-sale price. |
| $31.01666668 per share in cash | WBD acquisition by Skydance | Consideration for WBD shareholders stated in the 2026 SEC-filed closing announcement; unrelated to the reported catalog proposal. |
These figures refer to different assets and different transactions. The first was an estimated value in a negotiation report; the second was disclosed consideration in the later WBD acquisition closing.
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What is known about WBD after the acquisition?
Skydance’s October 6, 2026 announcement said the combined company’s output commitments include a minimum of 30 theatrical films per year and more than 180 television shows and series. Those are company-stated commitments, not independent forecasts, and they do not clarify ownership of the music-publishing assets discussed in 2023.
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