Paramount Skydance is raising the stakes in its bid for Warner Bros Discovery. The company offered a "ticking fee" of 25 cents per share, which adds up to $650 million in cash each quarter if the deal delays after 2026. This is an extra incentive for Warner Bros as they consider offers. Paramount keeps its total offer at $30 per share, valuing Warner Bros at $108.4 billion including debt. Paramount will also pay Warner Bros' $2.8 billion termination fee if the Netflix deal falls through. This move aims to make Paramount's offer more attractive amid Warner Bros’ repeated rejections and a hostile takeover fight. Warner Bros owns major franchises like Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, and DC Comics superheroes. Both Netflix and Paramount want these prized assets. However, experts doubt Paramount’s extra cash will sway Warner Bros away from Netflix. Ross Benes of Emarketer said, "Paramount is throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something sticks." There are concerns about conflicts of interest because Paramount is led by the Ellison family, a Trump ally. Larry Ellison’s son, David Ellison, heads Paramount Skydance. Reports say David promised Trump "sweeping changes" to CNN, a Warner Bros cable channel, if Paramount wins the deal. Press freedom groups warn this could hurt journalism. Seth Stern from the Freedom of the Press Foundation said, "WBD shareholders should push back against any transaction that would result in CNN being controlled by people who have already shown willingness to sell out journalism." Regulators are watching closely. Paramount says it has cleared foreign investment hurdles and is in talks with US, EU, and UK antitrust officials. A final decision is still months away. Warner Bros will hold a meeting by April to vote on Netflix’s bid. Wall Street is reacting with optimism. Warner Bros Discovery shares rose 2.1%, Paramount 1.3%, and Netflix 2.4% recently. The deal fight continues with big money and big stakes at play.