🎬 🍿 Paramount Global (PARA: $12.77, +1.27%) might feel like yesterday’s Hollywood dream, but is Mario Gabelli’s patience about to pay off? Spoiler alert: it might. 🎥

Paramount Global is the epitome of fun — on-screen and off. The studio-turned-media-mogul delivers entertainment through three star-studded divisions:

• 🎭 TV Media: Home to CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, BET, Nickelodeon, and Showtime — and international darlings like Channel 5 (UK), Telefe (Argentina), and Network 10 (Australia).

• 📱 Direct-to-Consumer (DTC): Paramount+, Pluto TV, and BET+ — a streaming trifecta.

• 🎞️ Filmed Entertainment: Paramount Pictures, Miramax, Nickelodeon Studios, and even Sonic the Hedgehog.

Formerly ViacomCBS (remember that?), Paramount changed its name in 2022, aiming for a streaming-first future. But in stock market terms, it’s been more Beverly Hills flop than Wall Street hit. 💸

🎩 Institutional Power Players Still Believe

Despite trading almost 90% below its 2021 all-time high of $101.97 (ouch!), 80.56% of Paramount’s float is still held by institutions — including serious titans like Vanguard, BlackRock, and State Street.

🧐 That’s not small change — that’s belief in a future blockbuster.

🔍 For full Institutional Ownership breakdown, see here. 

📈 Mario Gabelli’s GAMCO: A Portfolio of Moonshots… Except PARA?

If you don’t know Mario Gabelli, meet the man who bought his first stock at 13 and now manages billions.

His GAMCO portfolio is a masterclass in value investing. Just check out these bangers:

And then… there’s Paramount 🫣

Gabelli holds onto Paramount’s Class A and Class B like a true believer, even as Warren Buffett quietly exited stage left. 🎭 Why?

🎟️ Paramount+ Is Streaming in the Right Direction

Let’s look past the glitter and focus on the guts:

📅 FY 2024 Earnings Recap:

• Paramount+ revenue up 33%

• 10M new subscribers (total: 77.5M)

• DTC Adjusted OIBDA improved $1.2B 💪

• Free cash flow up to $489M

• Cost savings of $500M reached

Streaming momentum is real. And it's not just a one-quarter fluke.

📅 Q1 2025 Highlights:

• Paramount+ up to 79M subscribers

• Churn down, watch time up 17%

• Net income flipped positive: $152M vs ($554M) a year ago

🎬 Filmed Entertainment: Back in the Spotlight

Who needs Oscar buzz when you’ve got box office hits like:

• Sonic the Hedgehog 3 🦔 — nearly $500M global

• Gladiator II 🛡️ — crossed $460M

• Smile 2 😬 — debuted at #1 globally

Filmed Entertainment revenue jumped 67% YoY in Q4. That’s not popcorn change.

📉 TV Media: Still a Drag

While CBS and Yellowstone keep topping the charts, linear TV is showing its age:

• 📉 TV Media revenue down 4%

• 📉 Advertising and subscription revenue down

• 📉 Adjusted OIBDA down 17%

SpongeBob may still be king of kids’ TV, but Nickelodeon alone can't save the entire ship. ⚓

📊 The Numbers Are a Bit… Ouch

Yes, we’ll be honest. For all the streaming hype:

• Q4 2024 net loss: ($224M)

• FY 2024 net loss: a jaw-dropping ($6.19B)

• EPS for 2024: ($9.34) per share

💡 Reminder: That’s B for billion, not M for maybe. Paramount’s still bleeding cash — but slowing the bleed, or perhaps reversing it altogether.

💵 Valuation: A Discount Bin or Hidden Gem?

Let’s talk valuation:

• P/E (forward): 9.93 🧮

• P/S ratio: 0.30 🤯

• P/B: 0.52 🚪 (yes, trading at half book!)

• EV/Revenue: 0.76

• EV/EBITDA: 23.71 😬 (not great, not terrible)

Translation: this is cheap — but not for the faint of heart.

👉 Want the full picture? Dive into Paramount's financials here.

🍏 Will Apple Buy PARA? A Hollywood Ending?

Crazy idea? Maybe. But hear us out:

Apple’s streaming ambitions lag Netflix and Prime. What if Cupertino decides it’s time to level up — and buys Paramount’s IP goldmine?

Think Mission: Impossible, Interstellar, Titanic, Transformers, Forrest Gump…

Would Tim Cook trade iPhones for Indiana Jones? Probably not.

But… what if?

🤔 So, Why Is Gabelli Still Holding?

Because value investors buy what the market hates — not what it loves.

Gabelli sees:

1. Brand power and streaming growth

2. Deep institutional ownership

3. A possible turnaround (hello, Skydance merger 🎭)

4. An absurdly low valuation

⚠️ Risks? Absolutely.

• 🧩 Will Skydance merger close smoothly?

• 📉 Will TV Media keep declining faster than DTC grows?

• 🎬 Will Filmed Entertainment remain volatile?

• 💵 Will costs stay under control?

• 😇 Will investors accept a measly 1.5% dividend while Tom Cruise makes 8 figures?

💡💡💡 Curious about another deep oil exploration play?
Check our takes on UnitedHealth Group or even Oscar Health.

🧠 Final Thought: Bet Like a Value Investor or Watch the Credits?

Gabelli’s bet on Paramount isn’t just about numbers — it’s about narrative. A cheap stock with a streaming future, iconic IP, and a potential M&A catalyst?

Maybe. Just don’t expect the sequel to be as fast as Sonic.

👉 Paramount might finally be ready for its redemption arc. But like any good drama, there’ll be tension.

🎬 Stay tuned.

🚨 Disclaimer:

We love Wall Street (the movie), but Paramount didn’t produce it — 20th Century Fox did. This is not financial advice. It’s just a second opinion — and yes, we’re billing your sense of humor. Please invest responsibly. Or irresponsibly, but don’t say we didn’t warn you. 😉

🧭 Want More Like This?

• 🕵️ Insider Purchases Center
• 📣 Follow the Pundits Hub
• 📈 Young Guns & Turnaround Stocks — Track More Growth (and Growing-Pain) Plays
• 😆 Stock Market Humor & Serious-ish Plays
• 🌍 See the world differently and check out more international market picks and fun takes. Explore International Investment Opportunities and value plays 💸 Cheap Stocks with (Maybe) Big Upside
• 🧟 Corporate Resurrection Series — Our special series on companies rising from the financial grave. 🎯 The “Turnaround or Toast” Series (If it still exists. We’re not sure. Ask the intern.)
• 📈 Biotech Bets & Innovation Radar (Problem is we can't detect the Radar)

😂 Laugh, Learn, Invest: funanc1al.com | Funanc1al: Where Even Finance Meets Funny