David Nevins apparently tried to pull a Victor Kiam with Showtime, but Paramount turned him down.
Citing unnamed sources, the Wall Street Journal reported that the longtime Showtime chief executive, working with private equity firm General Atlantic, offered to buy the venerable premium channel for $3 billion.
Paramount, however, demurred, choosing instead in a move announced earlier this month to demote the Showtime brand to within the Paramount Plus ecosystem.
WSJ also reported that Paramount rejected another offer from Lions Gate to merge Showtime with premium-channel rival Starz.
And that's still not all -- Paramount is also said to have rejected a $6 billion bid for Showtime from former company executive Mark Greenberg and private equity.
Nevins, who ran Showtime from 2016 through last year, saw his role at Paramount significantly expand following the re-merger of Viacom and CBS Corp. that created the current "Paramount Global" constellation as we know it.
He abruptly announced his departure in October, saying in a staff memo, “Quite simply, over the past several months I’ve come to the conclusion that I am ready for the next phase of my life and my career. The industry is transforming rapidly, and I am genuinely excited about what the future holds."
Paramount hasn't officially commented.
