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A New Era In The Film Industry: Paramount And Skydance Merge

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

July 8, 2024

Paramount Global and Skydance Media have agreed to merge, opening a new chapter for one of Hollywood’s oldest studios, Reuters reported.

KEY FACTS

Shari Redstone, Paramount’s non-executive chairman, will sell the family’s controlling stake in the company in a complex deal that will end in a merger.
The deal marks the end of an era for Redstone, whose late father Sumner Redstone transformed the family’s chain of car dealerships into a media empire that includes Paramount Pictures, as well as the CBS network and cable networks Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and MTV.
The merger will combine Paramount, home of classics such as Chinatown, The Godfather and Breakfast at Tiffany’s, with a financing partner on several major recent films, including Top Gun: Maverick, Mission: Impossible – Fallout and Falling into Darkness.
The deal will elevate David Ellison, the 41-year-old scion of tech tycoons who founded Skydance, into Hollywood’s newest giant. He will inherit a media company that faces a host of challenges while managing an entertainment business upended by the video streaming revolution.

KEY STORY

Paramount has wiped nearly $17 billion off its value since the end of 2019 as its traditional TV business eroded faster than video streaming service Paramount+ could turn a profit.

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There was tension between the directors. CEO Bob Bakish was ousted in April after clashing with controlling shareholder Sherry Redstone over the Skydance deal. He was replaced by three executives who hold the CEO position as a group, proposing $500 million in layoffs, selling off certain assets and exploring a possible joint venture partner with Paramount+.

TANGENT

The deal between Paramount and Skydance is the culmination of months of negotiations that appeared to have reached an impasse when Redstone abruptly ended negotiations on June 11.

At the time, Skydance and its partners had agreed to acquire the Redstone family’s holding company National Amusements, which owned 77% of Paramount’s voting stock. However, the talks reached an impasse on other issues, including National Amusements’ demand that the deal be approved by a majority of non-Redstone shareholders, a condition Skydance believed impossible.

Dubai Real Estate Prices Surge 26.5% In February 2025

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

March 11, 2025

Dubai’s real estate market is showing no signs of slowing down. February 2025 saw a remarkable 26.5% year-on-year rise in property prices, underscoring the city’s enduring appeal to investors. While growth slowed slightly in comparison to previous months, the ValuStrat Price Index still posted a solid 1.6% monthly increase, taking the index to 207.5 points. This was fueled by continued strong demand across both villas and apartments.

Villas remain the standout performers. Capital values surged by 30.8% compared to the same time last year, with notable growth seen in upscale areas like Jumeirah Islands, which saw a massive 42.3% increase, and Emirates Hills, which rose by 31.2%. Despite a dip in the pace of growth (down to 2% monthly from 2.7% in January), villa values remain a significant draw for investors. Freehold villas are now valued 57% above the previous market peak and 160% higher than post-pandemic levels.

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The Apartment Market: Stability Amidst Steady Growth

Apartments, while showing more modest gains, still recorded an impressive 22.2% increase in annual growth. Monthly rises of 1.2% in February (slightly down from January’s 1.4%) were noted, with standout areas like The Greens (28.9%) and Palm Jumeirah (26.3%) leading the charge. Notably, apartments are still priced 9% below their peak but have recovered sharply, sitting 65% higher than the post-pandemic trough.

Though apartment price growth is less spectacular than villas, it’s clear that Dubai’s apartment market remains strong, with areas like the Dubailand Residence Complex and The Views reporting solid annual gains of around 25%. Meanwhile, international investors continue to flock to areas such as International City and Dubai Sports City, where growth was more modest but still steady.

Off-Plan Demand Hits New Heights

The off-plan property segment is becoming an increasingly crucial driver of Dubai’s real estate activity. February saw a dramatic 59.5% annual increase in off-plan sales, accounting for a whopping 70.8% of all transactions. High-demand locations like Jumeirah Village Circle, The Vally, and Damac Island City were among the most sought after, while Dubai Silicon Oasis saw a record number of off-plan homes traded.

On the other hand, ready homes are still a significant part of the market, with transactions up by 12.8% month-on-month and 9.8% year-on-year. February saw 31 high-value transactions above AED30 million, including prime properties in Dubai Hills Estate and Palm Jumeirah. Emirates Hills also broke records for the highest number of ready homes sold in a month, further solidifying its status as a luxury hotspot.

Dubai’s Unstoppable Market: Record Sales And Global Appeal

In terms of overall sales, February was a historic month. Property transactions hit $13.91 billion, a staggering 39.91% increase compared to the same month in 2024. With 16,099 transactions recorded, February 2025 ranks as one of the highest sales volumes on record. Over the past five years, the value of real estate sales in Dubai has skyrocketed, jumping by an eye-popping 449% from AED9.3 billion in 2020 to AED36.5 billion in 2024.

This meteoric rise is a clear sign that the Dubai real estate market is not only resilient but expanding at an unprecedented pace, with both local and international buyers continuing to seek investment opportunities in the emirate’s thriving sector. The future looks equally promising as demand shows no signs of waning.