Skydance Officially Closes Deal To Merge With Paramount

(Eric Thayer/Getty Images)

Paramount Skydance says its DTC streaming biz will be profitable this year

The studio reported its third-quarter earnings on Monday, the first since the Skydance takeover.

Paramount Skydance, the product of an $8 billion merger that closed in August, reported third-quarter earnings results on Monday.

Shares climbed more than 6% in after-hours trading, as the company said it expects its direct-to-consumer streaming business to achieve full-year profitability this year. It said the business, which it calls its top priority, will grow in profitability next year.

Paramount+ ended the quarter with 79.1 million subscribers, better than Wall Street expected and reflecting a 1.4 million subscriber bump from Q2.

Streaming revenue climbed to $2.17 billion, exceeding expectations and up about 17% from the same period last year. Most of that growth came from a 24% jump in Paramount+ revenue. Revenue for the network’s TV business fell 12% from last year to $3.8 billion, driven by a decline in advertising.

The combined company posted adjusted earnings per share of $0.12 in the August 7 through September period (after the merger between Paramount and Skydance closed). For the part of the quarter before the transaction closed, the company posted an adjusted loss of $0.24.

The studio has placed itself at the center of controversy and consolidation in recent months. In July, it announced it would end “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (and the broader “Late Show” franchise) in May 2026. Many suspected the move to be politically motivated, with the goal of appeasing the Trump administration, since the company highlighted the show as a “#1” in its second-quarter earnings. In August, Paramount announced a $7.7 billion deal with TKO for the streaming rights to UFC. More recently, the company has reportedly made at least three offers to buy rival Warner Bros. Discovery, all of which were rejected.

Paramount isn’t the only entertainment player interested in WBD, though. Warner CEO David Zaslav met with Comcast executives last week. Both Comcast and Netflix have reportedly hired banks to explore a bid for the HBO parent in recent weeks.

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Starbucks issues apology after viral “Bearista” cup meltdown

Holiday cheer turned into chaos this week for Starbucks after the coffee giant’s new “Bearista” holiday cup sent fans into a frenzy.

Dropped alongside its 2025 holiday menu, the $30 beanie-wearing glass bear tumbler sparked long lines, sellouts, and even in-store scuffles before Starbucks stepped in with an apology.

“The excitement for our merchandise exceeded even our biggest expectations,” the company said in a statement to People. “Despite shipping more Bearista cups to our coffeehouses than almost any other item this holiday season, the Bearista cup and some other items sold out fast.”

Within hours of launch, frustrated fans flooded Starbucks’ social media pages and even store hotlines. Some customers waited in line before dawn and others said their stores received only a handful of cups. In one Houston location, the craze even turned physical, with police reportedly called to break up a brawl. Meanwhile, the cup is already reselling on sites like eBay, with listings topping $600.

“We understand many customers were excited about the Bearista cup and apologize for the disappointment this may have caused,” Starbucks said. While in-store customers may be upset, investors seem happy about the viral hit, as the stock has risen over 3% on Friday.

If you’re still hoping for a Bearista at market price, that may not be on order: the chain didn’t disclose how many cups were made or whether a restock is planned.

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Target tells workers to smile, wave, and greet shoppers if they come within 10 feet of them

Target just rolled out a new rule for store employees: “smile, make eye contact, and greet or wave” when a shopper comes within 10 feet — and if they get closer, within four feet, “ask whether they need help or how their day is going,” according to a new Bloomberg report.

Dubbed the “10-4 program” internally, the rule mirrors rival Walmart’s own 10-foot policy, formalizing behavior Target had previously only encouraged.

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Monster surges on energy drink buzz, while Celsius sinks on distribution concerns

Shares of Monster Beverage climbed 5% after the bell on Thursday, and held most of those gains into early trading on Friday, following strong Q3 results.

The energy drink giant topped market expectations, with quarterly sales up 17% year over year to $2.2 billion and adjusted net profits growing 41% to $524.5 million — 11% ahead of Wall Street’s estimates. In the report, Monster highlighted its zero-sugar line and new product launches, with a stack of novel flavors already released this year, as bright spots.

During a call with analysts, Chief Executive Hilton Schlosberg said that the global energy drink category “remains healthy with robust growth,” The Wall Street Journal reported, adding that demand for more affordable caffeinated drinks is rising as coffee has become “really expensive.”

Meanwhile, rival beverage business Celsius saw shares fall as much as 23% on its Q3 results yesterday — despite beating expectations, with revenue jumping 173% — largely due to concerns about a change in the company’s distribution channel, as its newly acquired Alani Nu brand joins the PepsiCo distribution network.