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Netflix Denies It Is Pursuing Lionsgate, As M&A Talk Circulates Again
The Apex Times

THE APEX TIMES

Culture/The Apex Times/Jun 16, 10:00 PM EDT

Netflix Denies It Is Pursuing Lionsgate, As M&A Talk Circulates Again

A Netflix spokesperson said the streamer is “not interested and is not pursuing Lionsgate,” after market chatter sent Lionsgate shares up Tuesday before reversing later.

2 min readEditor-approved Apex article

Netflix said it is not seeking to buy Lionsgate, denying fresh merger speculation that briefly lifted the standalone entertainment company’s stock. In a statement provided to Deadline on Tuesday, a Netflix spokesperson said, “Netflix is not interested and is not pursuing Lionsgate,” addressing reports and trading activity that had tied the two companies to possible deal talk again.

The denial came as Lionsgate shares rose sharply during the day on merger chatter. According to the report, Lionsgate stock surged about 14% on Tuesday before falling in after-hours trading once Netflix publicly rejected the idea of pursuing the studio.

Lionsgate’s corporate situation has heightened attention on potential consolidation. The company separated from Starz in May 2025, creating two independent entities and positioning Lionsgate as a more direct target in the market for studios and streamers seeking production and distribution assets.

The Netflix-Lionsgate exchange underscores how quickly public comments can affect valuations during periods of deal talk. Market movements described in the report were tied to speculation rather than to an announced transaction, with Netflix’s statement functioning as a direct, on-the-record response to the rumor cycle.

Lionsgate’s recent corporate independence and the broader environment of media mergers have kept investor and industry attention focused on studio ownership, content pipelines, and distribution leverage. Netflix’s statement does not address any other counterpart or alternative business arrangements, the report said only that Netflix was not pursuing Lionsgate.

Neither company disclosed the source of the specific market chatter in the report, and Netflix’s spokesperson did not add additional details beyond the blunt denial. With no deal announced, the next steps for investors and observers are limited to follow-up communications from either company, if any, and continued monitoring of trading activity and potential third-party interest.

For Lionsgate, the denial removes one potential pathway that investors may have assumed during the trading spike. For Netflix, the statement clarifies that any strategic evaluation is not centered on a transaction involving the standalone studio at this time, according to the reported remarks.

Why It Matters

  • The statement reduces uncertainty for both companies’ stakeholders by publicly closing one reported acquisition path tied to Lionsgate.
  • Sharp intraday swings in Lionsgate trading, followed by a reversal, illustrate how quickly media-deal rumors can affect capital markets even without an announced transaction.
  • The timing matters for Lionsgate’s post-Starz independence, as investors and counterparties continue to evaluate studio ownership and content strategy.
  • With no deal announced, the immediate next step is clarification from company representatives if additional speculation emerges, rather than deal documentation or regulatory filings.

Sources

Key Facts

  • Netflix said it is “not interested and is not pursuing Lionsgate,” according to a spokesperson quoted by Deadline.
  • Lionsgate shares rose about 14% on Tuesday amid merger chatter, then dropped in after-hours trading after Netflix’s denial.
  • The renewed speculation followed Lionsgate’s separation from Starz, which occurred in May 2025.
  • The report frames the move as a response to market rumors, not an announced acquisition or formal talks disclosed by the companies.