The deal between Skydance and media giant Paramount (PARA) has proven somewhat controversial. So much so that some investors are potentially interested in stopping it before it can completely go through. But there are others who believe this was a smart idea, though investors didn’t seem all that enthusiastic and sent shares down fractionally in Thursday afternoon’s trading.
Tony Marlow, LG Ad Solutions’ chief marketing officer, notes that we’re not yet at “peak streaming.” Some might take issue with this, especially seeing the open decline in development, but Marlow notes his reasoning behind the assessment. Marlow notes that audiences are still about half streaming and half linear, so there’s still quite a bit of room for growth.
And, with Skydance now able to exert some control over Paramount’s operations, that might be a big help going forward as Paramount prepares for a future in which linear television means a whole lot less than it used to. Marlow isn’t alone here, either, as others have echoed the sentiments to one degree or another over the last few weeks.
Paramount’s Roster of “Star Trek” Shows Is Dwindling
Meanwhile, Paramount is working to give viewers the all-too-vital reason they need to come back: content. With Paramount’s roster of “Star Trek” shows dwindling—we’re down to “Lower Decks” and “Strange New Worlds,” with “Lower Decks” concluding this year—something needs to step up. And word is that “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” will be part of that mix.
We’re also on track to get “Star Trek: Section 31” sometime next year, at last report, and coming up—though much less fleshed out—will be “Untitled Star Trek Origin,” a movie so new it doesn’t yet have a full title. Interestingly, the movie will be spending most of its time on Earth, which is an unusual move and will hopefully garner some interest.
Is PARA Stock a Buy, Sell, or Hold?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Moderate Sell consensus rating on PARA stock based on three Buys, seven Holds, and 10 Sells assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 25.48% loss in its share price over the past year, the average PARA price target of $12 per share implies 2.65% upside potential.
