How much will Shinsegae invest in Paramount Skydance’s Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition?

Shinsegae Group will invest $1 billion through Shinsegae Property, its real estate and development arm. The investment is intended to give the group access to Paramount and Warner Bros. intellectual property while supporting its expansion into global entertainment and content.

How will Shinsegae use Warner Bros. and Paramount content in its retail properties?

Shinsegae plans to create experiential facilities and themed spaces based on the companies’ intellectual property at retail properties including Starfield shopping malls. Warner Bros. content could also be added to the planned Starbay City theme park in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.

Shinsegae to invest $1 bil. in Paramount's Warner Bros. deal

Q: Could Shinsegae link HBO Max and Paramount+ to its membership programs?

Shinsegae said it will explore partnerships involving HBO Max and Paramount+, potentially connecting the services to membership programs at E-Mart and other affiliates. It is also considering co-producing content and expanding into Korean original productions with the streaming platforms.

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Summary

Shinsegae Group will invest $1 billion in Paramount Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, expected to close Tuesday local time. The investment aims to combine Shinsegae’s retail infrastructure with global entertainment content and intellectual property. The group plans themed spaces at Starfield malls and Starbay City, while exploring membership partnerships involving HBO Max and Paramount+.

Key Facts

Shinsegae Property, the group’s real estate and development arm, will take the stake alongside investors including Skydance co-CEO David Ellison and RedBird.
The entertainment intellectual property includes Mission: Impossible, Star Trek, Top Gun, Harry Potter and Game of Thrones.
Shinsegae said HBO Max and Paramount+ have more than 200 million subscribers combined.
The group is considering co-producing content with Paramount Skydance and developing Korean original productions through partnerships with HBO Max and Paramount+.

By Lee Gyu-lee

Published Oct 6, 2026 9:17 pm KST

A giant digital screen on Shinsegae Department Store's main location in central Seoul shines over passing traffic, Feb. 5. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Retail conglomerate Shinsegae Group will invest $1 billion in Paramount Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, seeking to expand its retail business into global entertainment and content.

The group announced Tuesday that its real estate and development arm, Shinsegae Property, will take a $1 billion stake in the combined company, alongside investors including Skydance co-CEO David Ellison and U.S. investment firm RedBird. The deal is expected to close Tuesday (local time).

The investment will give Shinsegae Group access to intellectual property from Paramount and Warner Bros., including Hollywood blockbuster franchises such as “Mission: Impossible,” “Star Trek” and “Top Gun,” as well as “Harry Potter” and “Game of Thrones.”

The group said it plans to combine its retail and entertainment businesses to build a platform that brings shopping and culture together, with ambitions to become a leading content hub in Asia.

“This investment will go beyond a simple equity investment and serve as a stepping stone for Shinsegae Group to diversify into a new business area,” an official from the group said. “Through this investment, Shinsegae Group will lay the groundwork to become a platform company in the Asian content market.”

The group plans to create experiential facilities and themed spaces based on Paramount and Warner Bros. intellectual property at its retail properties, including the group’s flagship Starfield shopping malls.

Shinsegae Group said Warner Bros. content could also be used at its planned Starbay City theme park in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, where Paramount is already a global brand partner, adding to the park’s existing content lineup.

The group also expects to explore partnerships involving streaming services HBO Max and Paramount+, potentially tying the services to membership programs at E-Mart and other affiliates.

HBO Max and Paramount+ have more than 200 million subscribers combined, according to Shinsegae Group.

In the longer term, the group said it is considering co-producing content with Paramount Skydance and expanding into Korean original productions through partnerships with HBO Max and Paramount+.

The investment marks Shinsegae Group's latest effort to diversify beyond its traditional retail operations by combining its customer-facing retail infrastructure with global entertainment and intellectual properties.

Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin visited the United States late last year and met with Ellison and others to discuss developing products using Paramount's intellectual property.

Paramount’s planned acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery is expected to create a major new media conglomerate spanning film studios, streaming services and television networks.

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