Take that 007, flip it around, and add seven more zeros, and you’ve apparently got yourself an opening bid. According to Variety, Amazon is reportedly “weeks into negotiations†to potentially acquire MGM and its deep library of content. Of course, we’re not surprised the studio is looking for a buyer; reports that MGM was “exploring a sale†in earnest cropped up just before Christmas. No, we’re more impressed with the alleged price tag. While reports in December approximated MGM’s market value at around $5.5 billion, Amazon might be putting down “about $9 billion†for the purchase, with an initial estimate from The Information predicting a selling price between $7 billion and $10 billion.
In addition to the James Bond blockbusters, including this year’s No Time to Die, MGM’s catalogue of 4,000 movies includes The Hobbit, Rocky, RoboCop, and Pink Panther franchises, as well as beloved films like The Silence of the Lambs and Four Weddings and a Funeral. As for their television properties, MGM’s shows include Stargate, Fargo, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Voice, Survivor, Shark Tank, and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, as well as the cable network Epix. The sale isn’t official yet, but you might want to go ahead and make yourself an ice-cold martini now. You’ll be glad you had it ready.