Browsing: Split

Warner Bros. Discovery announced in a press release on Tuesday it is entertaining bidders for both the entire company and for the two separate companies that would exist following its planned split in 2026. While WBD is hoping to ignite an expensive bidding war for the company, some of its potential suitors have signaled they may not be interested.

The press release followed a Wall Street Journal report last month that Paramount made a cash offer to WBD ahead of its spin-off. The $20 per share offer was rebuffed by WBD CEO David Zaslav.

“While Warner Bros. Discovery continues to advance its previously announced separation of Warner Bros. and Discovery Global, its Board of Directors today announced it has initiated a review of strategic alternatives to maximize shareholder value, in light of unsolicited interest the company has received from multiple parties for both the entire company and Warner Bros,” the release said.

PUCK previously reported WBD was hoping for a stock sale price exponentially higher than the Paramount offer.

Matthew Belloni reported last week Paramount was pushing ahead with a purchase of WBD, noted by the hiring of Makan Delrahim as its chief legal officer on Oct. 6. Delrahim served in the anti-trust division of the Department of Justice in the Bush administration in the 2000s. He became a lobbyist after, working for Comcast, UFC, Google, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Johnson and Johnson. Belloni said his hiring was to pave way for a purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery and to fight off other potential buyers and anti-trust concerns by the Department of Justice.

While leading the Department of Justice’s anti-trust division during the first Trump administration, he filed a lawsuit to stop a merger of Time Warner with AT&T, but lost in federal court. He allowed the sale of FOX to Disney.

Delrahim, in several interviews, said monopolies were only illegal if they acted in a monopolistic manner. He also held the position that mergers could lead to more competition in the market, an argument he’ll likely make to the DOJ and the Securities and Exchange Commission as Paramount tries to position itself with purchases to compete as a major streamer alongside Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Paramount immediately made overtures for WBD following its merger with Skydance, owned by Larry and David Ellison. Paramount signed a new deal with UFC for seven years and $7.7 billion shortly after the purchase, worth nearly the same price paid for Paramount.

Netflix and Amazon may sit out a potential bidding war for WBD. Netflix Co-CEO Greg Peters told Variety earlier this month that “big mergers don’t have an amazing track record,” citing other Time Warner mergers with AT&T and AOL. But CNBC reported on Tuesday that Netflix was in play for WBD, citing unnamed sources.

Amazon’s recent purchase of MGM and the Bond franchise has left it less willing to investigate a WBD buy, but Prime has expressed interest in WBD before, particularly its TNT Sports production studio. Amazon Prime’s production of NFL and MLB games has been heavily criticized since the network began airing football on Thursday nights as part of a deal with the league. After its debt-heavy acquisition of MGM, Amazon would likely be uninterested in paying billions for WBD.

Apple executive Eddy Cue said on Belloni’s podcast that the company isn’t likely or looking to make significant purchases.

Comcast, which is in the middle of its own split, would be a favored spot by Zaslav and WBD board chair John Malone due to their positioning in a new company, one source told SEScoops. A Comcast and WBD merger would only occur after Comcast finishes spinning off its cable networks under the Versant name and WBD spins off its digital assets. It would also leave Zaslav and Malone in top positions, which would be highly unlikely if Paramount purchases. Belloni reported that Zaslav and Malone would have to maneuver the WBD board if Paramount continues as a highly motivated and potentially hostile player in a bidding war. Comcast would also have to improve its heavily leveraged position – it needs more money.

Sony studios has showed interest in a WBD purchase or merger, which SEScoops reported in June. The two companies worked together before and planned a joint studio complex in Nevada, but the plan fell apart after the state legislature failed to provide tax incentives. The positioning of more heavy buyers would make a Sony purchase difficult.

WBD’s spin-off is expected to finish by mid-2026.

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Seth Rollins finally overcame the last impediment to his claim to dominance in 2025, but his vision is unclear following the events of the latest episode of WWE Raw.

This year, The Visionary set out to prove he wasn’t second to anyone, as he joined forces with Paul Heyman at WrestleMania 41 to defeat Roman Reigns. In the process, the 39-year-old reclaimed the world title he established at SummerSlam and once again ensured that CM Punk would not attain it as long as he could help it.

Still, Cody Rhodes was his final test as he had yet to beat the second-generation star since his return in 2022.

At Crown Jewel: Perth, Rollins vanquished the last vestiges of doubt and claimed a long-sought-after victory over his rival and one-time ally. More importantly, he did it without the help of Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed, whom he has taken under his wing.

The company’s resident workhorse may have resorted to shady tactics to do so, but he had earned the right to say he’s the number one superstar on the roster. It may have come at a cost, as reports suggest he sustained a severe injury during the match that could require surgery.

Who could’ve guessed that everything would come crashing down as The Vision turned on him two days later to close this week’s edition of WWE’s flagship series, though?

The Vision’s Inevitable Next Step

Breakker stunned the crowd as he speared his self-appointed mentor and staked a claim to his coveted world heavyweight title. Afterward, Reed and Heyman quickly picked a side and stood over the man who led them to many similar moments this year.

The two-time Intercontinental champion had actually shown signs of discontent with Rollins’s leadership for some time. In fact, you could see it during the opening segmentwhen he said he didn’t need anyone’s help.

Brekker’s frustrations seemingly grew throughout the episode, and the karmic response was swift for Rollins, who had abandoned his principles for unquestioned power. It’s a bit ironic that he didn’t see it coming because his own ambition infamously led him to betray The Shield in 2014 and turn heel earlier this year.

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His pupil only did what he would’ve done when he showed signs of weakness. Nevertheless, it makes us wonder what will become of his stable if The Visionary is forced to vacate his mantle and miss out on the chance to compete at The Showcase of Immortals.

Well, his oracle will likely do what he always does, and Breakker is the perfect prospect for this generation’s “Paul Heyman Guy.” The breakout star from NXT 2.0 is poised to be the next top star, and his new manager has spoken highly of him for some time.

It’s a pairing that honestly makes much more sense than an alliance with Rollins. Even more, the striking visual of Heyman surrounded by two big behemoths just works. It always has, and that’s why we don’t expect to see this trio split up.

Craig Ambrosio/WWE via Getty Images

It will be interesting to see how they factor into plans for WrestleMania 42. Punk defeated Jey Uso and LA Knight to become the new number one contender. However, don’t be surprised if WWE makes a bold move and crowns Breakker as the next world heavyweight champion.

The roster’s age problem isn’t getting much better, and it’s time to invest heavily in a young star. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to see if the 27-year-old is ready to step up as John Cena and many others wind down.

So, what does this mean for Becky Lynch? The reigning women’s Intercontinental champion essentially joined The Vision at Clash in Paris, but she wasn’t there when Breakker staged his coup.

There is no one Rollins trusts more than his real-life wife, and that’s why it’s hard to believe she would ever side against him. Conversely, Lynch is obviously on pace to eventually face AJ Lee in a one-on-one match, so it would make sense to move on from her side quest with his stable.

It’s also just hard to see how she fits in here without the connection to her husband. Expect a few segments to tie up this dangling plot line, but her short-lived inclusion will likely come to an end very soon.

Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty Images

That leads us to the elephant in the room that most fans aren’t considering. Is there a chance that Rollins is playing us again, and his injury isn’t as serious as we think? After all, WWE hasn’t even confirmed it yet, and the reports about it are speculative.

That would be quite the swerve now that Punk is set for a rematch at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Salt Lake City, UT, on Nov. 1. The problem is that we’ve already gone that route, and it could have diminishing returns.

This direction, with Breakker going off on his own, is much more intriguing. Additionally, it would be fitting for Rollins to face Punk on his own after he robbed him of a crowning moment at SummerSlam.

Craig Ambrosio/WWE via Getty Images

Yes, both of those reasons would allow The Vision to generate even more heat if they actually help Rollins win again in a few weeks. Nonetheless, it would also run the risk of further disaffecting an audience that wants something new.

We don’t believe Punk’s big title win will happen on Saturday Night’s Main Event, but something about this situation suggests Rollins will really need to take some time off. It’s unclear how long that could be, but it’s hard to believe WWE would move in this direction so soon if there weren’t real concerns.

The fact that he was cleared for the closing segment of Raw could mean that the company is hopeful about his prognosis, but time will tell. Regardless, The Vision has built a foundation similar to The Bloodline, where absolute power corrupts absolutely and deceit is a crucible. So, The Visionary’s fate was sealed the second he started this path.

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By: Ed Weaver  /  October 14, 2025

The Wellsboro Junior High Volleyball team split their final two regular season games, falling to Troy on Saturday and sweeping rival North Penn-Liberty Monday.

“Our offense finally got comfortable with their new rotation, and our defense and serving were on point,” head coach Valery Weaver said. “The girls were scrappy and hustled the whole game. We forced extra points in the second set, and came out with the sweep! It was a fantastic way to end the regular season, as NPL is a worthy opponent and well-coached. I’m so proud of the growth of the players this year on A and B teams, and I can say without hesitation, the future of Wellsboro volleyball is bright!”

The young Lady Hornets edged the Lady Mounties 25-23 to win the 1st set and 27-25 to win the 2nd.

Rachel Weaver scored 12 points (4 aces) and made 6 digs and 2 assists to lead Wellsboro. Alexis Dunning scored 7 points (4 aces) to go along with 5 digs, 1 assist and a kill. Nora Mickey scored 6 points (1 ace) and had 6 digs and a kill.

Reese Eckart added 4 digs, Alayna Richards had 3 digs and Lila Morey added a kill.

Against Troy over the weekend Wellsboro lost both sets: 25-10 and 25-21.

Dunning scored 6 points (4 aces) and had 2 kills while Weaver scored 4 points (1 ace) and had 3 assists and 2 digs. Morey scored 3 points (1 ace) and had a kill. Mickey added a kill and Eckart added a dig.

Wellsboro finishes the regular season 9-7. The A team will be back in action Saturday at the Williamson Junior High Tournament.

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It’s very difficult to three-peat as champion in any major professional sport, but especially in the modern era of the NHL. The league has not seen any team win at least three consecutive Stanley Cups since the New York Islanders won four straight from 1980 to 1983; since the salary cap was implemented in 2005, only three teams have even repeated as champions.

Thus, the two-time reigning champion Florida Panthers will look to become the first three-peat Stanley Cup winners of the salary cap era and sportsbooks, at least initially, liked their odds to do so, as they were co-favorites (+700) to win the 2026 title immediately following their 2025 win, per ESPN BET odds.

Those odds only improved over the summer after the Panthers locked in team-friendly extensions with Aaron Ekblad, Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett, making them +600 solo favorites approaching the end of September. Even offseason groin surgery for superstar Matthew Tkachuk couldn’t stop Florida’s momentum, as ESPN BET senior director Adrian Horton noted a “large influx of Panthers action,” with bettors understanding that the injury will not keep him out the entire season.

Then it got worse: On Sept. 25, captain Aleksander Barkov went down with a knee injury that required surgery and almost certainly rules him out for the entire regular season, possibly longer. Several books immediately lengthened Florida’s Stanley Cup odds, with ESPN BET raising them to +1000, sixth on the odds board.

And yet, the action backing the Panthers remains robust. ESPN BET reports its highest share of Stanley Cup bets (17.1%) and handle (21.4%) backing the Cats, with BetMGM reporting 13.8% of handle, second-best in the market.

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ESPN BET has since shortened Florida back to +900 (tied for second-best) and some shops, like Caesars Sportsbook, never dethroned the team from favorite status at all. The sportsbook’s head of hockey, Karry Shreeve, said that while his oddsmaking team took Barkov’s injury into effect for markets like President’s Trophy winner and team point total, he believes that they’re always a threat to win the Stanley Cup if they can just get to the playoffs.

“They’re really tricky. For us, it’s definitely dependent on what the market is. So those injuries, in my opinion right now, really just affect the regular season and everything that comes with that,” Shreeve told ESPN. “But we’re not ready to drop them in price significantly, at least for the Stanley Cup, just because I’m not convinced who’s going to fill their spot [in the playoffs].”

“Last season they faced a full gauntlet in the playoffs, eliminating tough opponents in Tampa, Toronto, Carolina, and Edmonton on their way to a second title,” Horton said over email. “Even if they struggle during the regular season, they’ve proved over the last two years that they need to be considered a favorite when gearing up for the postseason, especially if Barkov can return.”

See more: Preseason power rankings | Stanley Cup odds | Fantasy hockey draft guide

Crowded field of Stanley Cup challengers

Of course, the Panthers are far from the only team vying for the Stanley Cup and there is a bevy of contenders at the top, with seven teams showing odds of +1000 or shorter at ESPN BET.

The logjam of favorites sporting +800 odds include the Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche and Edmonton Oilers, the Cup runners-up two years running. Just beyond that lie the Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights and Panthers at +900, with the Tampa Bay Lightning coming in at +1000.

The odds fluctuate greatly from book to book, with BetMGM, for one, installing Vegas as a favorite alongside Edmonton, while DraftKings has Carolina as the solo favorite. ESPN BET priced the Hurricanes competitively, seeing this as potentially the year its talented core finally breaks through.

“Carolina is one of the most consistently dominant teams we have seen in recent years, having recouped some talent over the summer as they look to make another deep run,” said Horton. “Patrons will likely have their postseason struggles in mind, but it took the Panthers at full steam to eliminate them. We fully expect Carolina to be back battling in the playoffs.”

The Canes have not attracted such significant public attention, with BetMGM ranking them fifth (6.5%) and ESPN BET ranking them seventh (5.7%) in Stanley Cup bet share. Instead, bettors are largely backing the Avalanche and Golden Knights in the favorites tier.

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But outside of the top contenders, American bettors are largely turning their attention north of the border. The Toronto Maple Leafs have been unequivocally one of the most-bet teams for the Stanley Cup across the sportsbook marketplace, taking a leading 10.6% of tickets and 15.0% of handle at BetMGM, who lowered them to +1600 from +2000 at open. They aren’t the only Canadian team attracting public attention.

“After a late season surge last year there is also betting interest in the Canadiens,” BetMGM senior trader Matthew Rasp said in a release. “We expect Montreal to take another step forward and for liability to grow on the team.”

To that end, Toronto has garnered the most bets (17.4%) to win the Eastern Conference, while Montreal has gotten the most handle (20.1%) in the market at the sportsbook.

In general, though, bookmakers aren’t sweating Canada’s Stanley Cup drought finally ending after 33 years, with the exception of possibly Edmonton getting it done. Shreeve said he is “comfortable” with the price he is offering on the Leafs despite the action, while DraftKings sportsbook director Johnny Avello is expecting the winner to come from the cluster of favorites.

“The way I look at it, there’s no real clear-cut, short favorite,” Avello told ESPN. “This year, it’s more wide open at the top, and then you have a whole second tier of teams that are in that 20-to-40 range. There’s another 10 teams there. Could the Stanley Cup winner come from there? Absolutely. But the top tier has eight teams that we believe will contend for the title.”

The last preseason Stanley Cup favorite to win the title was the Avalanche (+600) in 2022.

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Auston Matthews nets goal for Maple Leafs

Auston Matthews tallies goal vs. Red Wings

Can money buy his Hart?

The 2025-26 NHL season will mark the 100th awarding of the Hart Memorial Trophy to the league’s most valuable player, so it could be fitting that a multi-time winner of the award who is well on his way to becoming an all-time great comes into the campaign as a huge favorite.

Oiler captain Connor McDavid is +200 at ESPN BET, holding a relatively large lead over Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (+475) and Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (+650), former Hart winners themselves.

While McDavid’s preseason odds aren’t unprecedented — he was actually shorter to open the previous two seasons — they are significant given the hockey world is watching him on and off the ice. On the eve of Opening Night, McDavid signed a two-year, $25 million extension to stay with the Oilers beyond this season, following much free agency speculation after the team’s second straight Cup Final defeat.

“With McDavid, it just helps that he’s inherently already going to be the favorite for a lot of these awards,” Shreeve said. “So just because of who he is already … we don’t have to make him even more of a favorite.”

Speaking of new contracts, Minnesota Wild superstar Kirill Kaprizov signed a record-setting eight-year, $136 million deal at the end of September, which may have generated some buzz around him in the Hart betting markets. The winger has garnered the most wagers at ESPN BET and BetMGM, also attracting the most handle at the former (17.6%). He shows +1200 odds at ESPN BET, fifth on the board.

Bettors are also buying into the idea that a goalie could repeat for the Hart Trophy after Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck took home the hardware last season. Bookmakers at BetMGM, DraftKings and ESPN BET all report liabilities on goalies like Hellebuyck (+3000), Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy (100-1) and the New York Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin (100-1).

Shreeve sees that happening as “unlikely” and the numbers certainly back him up there: Out of the Hart’s 99 awardings, only nine have gone to goalies and just once in repeat years — both to Dominik Hasek in 1997 and 1998.

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Kirill Kaprizov’s top plays from last season

Check out Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov’s top plays from the 2024-25 season.

Calder betting: Get to know the name Ivan Demidov

The betting market for the Calder Memorial Trophy, awarded to the league’s rookie of the year, can be a strange one.

Shreeve notes that the overall handle for Calder winner is relatively small compared to other NHL future markets, likely owing to unfamiliarity with the names in question. “We just don’t know as much about these guys as we would in the NBA or NFL because we don’t grow up with these guys,” he said. “A lot of them are European, a lot of them just playing in leagues we’re not familiar with.”

Thus, the markets often end up with a situation where one flashy name rises above the rest to be the preseason favorite. Sometimes it results in the favorite going the distance — such as Connor Bedard (-135) in 2023-24 and Auston Matthews (-130) in 2016-17 — and sometimes it doesn’t, for mitigating circumstances or otherwise, such as when McDavid came into the 2015-16 season at +130, but lost the award to Artemi Panarin (+2200) after sustaining an injury.

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This year, the name is Ivan Demidov of the Canadiens, who is an overwhelming +165 favorite at ESPN BET; the next closest players — Oilers forward Isaac Howard, San Jose Sharks forward Michael Misa and Wild defenseman Zeev Buium– are in a three-way tie for second at +1200.

Because of the lack of name recognition, bookmakers chalk up Demidov’s status as the favorite to bettor activity rather than on expert consensus. At ESPN BET, Demidov holds a whopping 73.1% of the handle to win the award, and he also has the most tickets and money at BetMGM.

“Demidov is an interesting case as he made a splash at the end of last season and is still eligible for the Calder this year,” said Horton. “The media frenzy around his debut is a leading factor in the early opinion of him to be a standout favorite.”

The only other name garnering any sort of notable attention is Blackhawks defenseman Sam Rinzel (+2500), who Avello notes has become a liability at DraftKings due to his long odds.

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EDMONTON — Morgan Frost’s second goal of the game, scored at 1:07 of overtime, lifted the visiting Calgary Flames’ split squad to a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday at Rogers Place.

Second-period goals by Joel Farabee and Frost gave the Flames a 2-1 lead after Darnell Nurse’s goal in the first period gave the hosts a 1-0 lead.

Matvey Petrov tied it 2-2 with a goal at 18:41 of the second period.

The Oilers outshot the Flames 30-14, but Calgary goalie Ivan Prosvetov stopped 28 shots. Matt Tomkins stopped 11 shots for the Oilers.

The Flames were 1-for-3 on the power play, while the Oilers went 0-for-2.

CALGARY — Kasperi Kapanen, Connor Clattenburg and Riley Stillman all scored at Scotiabank Saddledome as the Oilers’ split squad blanked the host Flames 3-0.

Oilers netminders Samuel Johnson (12 saves) and Nathaniel Day (eight saves) combined for the shutout.

Flames netminder Devin Cooley stopped 26 of 29 shots directed his way.

Kapanen gave the Oilers a 1-0 lead at 2:38 of the first period, and Clattenburg made it 2-0 at 8:18 of the third. Stillman scored at 11:47 of the third to give the Oilers the 3-0 lead.

The Flames went 0-for-3 on the power play, while the Oilers were 0-for-2.

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PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Wild.That was the word from U.S. captain Nathan Smith but also the unanimous sentiment felt across…

Next Match: vs. St. Mary’s (At Chaminade) 9/5/2025 | 4 p.m. Sep. 05 (Fri) / 4…

By: Ed Weaver  /  September 2, 2022

The Wellsboro Varsity Volleyball team split a pair of NTL cross-over games with Northeast Bradford and Cowanesque Valley on Tuesday, August 30 and Thursday, September 1.

Against NEB the Lady Panthers took the first two sets 25-21 and 25-23 before the Lady Hornets battled back in the 3rd and 4th, 25-17 and 25-15, to force a 5th set. NEB took that set 15-9 to win the game.

Junior Natalie Cleveland led Wellsboro with 23 points (5 aces) and 29 digs, sophomore Paige Logsdon had 12 points (2 aces), 9 kills, and 5 digs, senior Maddi Bordas had 10 points, 14 assists, and 12 digs, and sophomore Lexi Urena had 9 points, 6 kills, 9 assists, and 17 digs.

Junior Meredith Brownlee also added 5 kills and 15 digs.

Against CV the Lady Hornets swept the Lady Indians 3-0, winning 25-15, 25-20, and 25-14.

Urena recorded 12 points (5 aces), 7 kills, 13 assists, and 6 digs while Logsdon had 6 points, 14 kills, and 6 blocks. Senior Emily Starkweather had 6 points, 7 kills, and 8 digs. Cleveland, Brownlee, and junior Mya Lockett all added 4 points each.

In JV action, the Lady Hornets dropped both contests to NEB and CV, 2-0 to fall to 1-2 on the year. The Varsity team improves to 2-1 (1-1 NTL Large School Division). The team is back in action on Tuesday, September 6 at Williamson.

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