Hollywood streaming bidding war, high steaks beef prices and grandparent scams: CBC's Marketplace cheat sheet

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Could Netflix’s Warner Bros. Discovery deal kill movie theatres?

Paramount Skydance on Monday launched a hostile bid worth $108.4 billion US for Warner Bros. Discovery, throwing a wrench into a proposed $72-billion US equity deal with Netflix in a last-ditch effort to create a media powerhouse that would challenge the dominance of the streaming giant.

The Warner Bros. Discovery board of directors on Monday afternoon said it would review Paramount's offer, but is not modifying its recommendation with respect to Netflix. It advised the company to "take no action at this time" regarding the Paramount Skydance proposal.

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said Paramount's proposal was "entirely expected" and that the streaming giant is still "super confident" its deal will be completed.

Unlike Netflix, Paramount is also offering to buy the cable television assets of Warner Bros. It is the same bid that Warner Brothers had previously rejected in favour of the offer from Netflix. Paramount executives said their offer is worth about $18 billion US more than the competing bid from Netflix, which they said is based on an "illusory prospective valuation" of those cable assets.

The bid has already drawn sharp criticism from bipartisan lawmakers and Hollywood unions over concerns that it could lead to job cuts and higher prices for consumers.

However, analysts say Paramount's offer comes with its own risks, including additional debt needed to make the transaction work. The acquisition would also bring its own anti-trust scrutiny as a consolidation of two major television operators.

Given the length of time it will take either a Paramount or Netflix deal to get governmental approval, any prospective changes on the consumer-side of things are likely still far in the future.

But given Warner Bros.' many agreements with Canadian media holders — notably Bell Media's multi-year deal, which gives the streaming platform Crave access to HBO content — entertainment lawyer Dave Stern says the streaming experience in Canada may eventually shift considerably.

A Quebec man arrested last week in Regina is now accused of defrauding several seniors in Saskatoon as part of an investigation into 'grandparent scams' that targets older adults.

Saskatoon police say they received five reports from Nov. 24 to 27 from people who were collectively defrauded of more than $45,000 by someone claiming to be a grandson.

In each case, investigators say a caller posed as a grandchild in crisis — claiming to have been in a vehicle crash and needing cash to get out of jail, Saskatoon police said in a news release Tuesday.

A second person would then go to the victim’s home to collect the money. Police say the victims handed over between $5,000 and $26,000.

The Saskatoon charges come a week after Regina police and White Butte RCMP announced they had arrested two Quebec residents — a man and a woman — in connection with similar reports.

That investigation included victims who were told there was a 'gag order' preventing them from discussing the situation, and who were instructed to hand cash to a courier sent to their door.

Food prices could be going up next year, report says

If there is a small bit of positive news for those who love to grill a steak in the summer or enjoy a roast dinner during the chilly winter months, beef prices are expected to climb further in 2026 — but not by as much as in recent years.

“The bad news is it won’t be going down,” said Mike von Massow, a food economist at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ont.

Beef prices are at record highs after climbing 16 per cent over the last year and up 35 per cent in October compared with the five-year average. The retail price of beef is expected to creep up again next year.

The reasons behind the hefty price tags are as simple as supply and demand, with the supply of cows historically low and demand incredibly high. Yet the situation is much more complex, with ranchers facing difficult decisions on the farm and a commodity impacted by several factors, such as international trade and severe weather events.

In general, meat prices rose by the highest rate of any food category in 2025, driven by the soaring cost of beef, according to the recent national food price report by Dalhousie University in Halifax.

There are many considerations as experts weigh the question of when shoppers may finally see relief at the meat counter.

Health Canada expands recall on Oster toaster ovens that have burned some users

Consumers are being asked to stop using the ovens until they can get a free repair kit from the company

Parents urged to protect kids as threat grows from AI-generated sexual abuse tools

Calgary teen accused of using AI to sexualize photos of high school girls last week

E-scooters aren't kids' toys, say health officials, but what are the safety rules you should know

E-scooter related injuries jumped a reported 61 per cent among Canadians, ages 5 to 17 years old

Here's how Canadians are cutting back this holiday season

Shopping early, skipping turkey, only buying for kids and other holiday savings strategies from our audience

Holiday precautions to spread cheer, not germs

Influenza cases rising across Canada

Have you complained to the consumer protection office in your province or territory? If so, we want to know how it went. Email us at marketplace@cbc.ca.

Are you planning on cancelling your cell, cable or internet service? Before you do, Marketplace wants to hear from you! Email us at marketplace@cbc.ca.

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