Paramount is negotiating to settle a multistate lawsuit blocking its planned $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, aiming to close before a $7 million daily ticking fee begins on October 1. Talks involve concessions such as protecting CNN's editorial independence, possible sale of cable channels like Comedy Central, and commitments to keep movie studios separate. The lawsuit, led by California and 11 other states, plus a Writers Guild of America challenge, represents the last major obstacle after DOJ clearance and foreign regulatory approvals. A settlement would allow the historic media merger to proceed, while failure could lead to a trial in March and substantial financial penalties.

Warner Bros. Discovery Paramount

Retail MediaFACT · 4/516 Sept '26· Via Modern Retail

Walmart Upgrades Scintilla Platform with Marketplace Data and AI

Walmart's first-party data platform for merchants and suppliers, Scintilla, is set for a major upgrade next year. Announced at the Walmart Data Ventures Inspire conference, new features will include access to marketplace data, customizable dashboards, custom alerts, an enhanced Marty AI assistant, and tighter integration with Scintilla In-Store and replenishment systems. First-party suppliers selling on Walmart Marketplace will gain visibility into their marketplace performance, while AI will shift from summarizing to making recommendations. These upgrades aim to provide a unified view of sales, customer behavior, and supply chain. Scintilla remains unavailable to marketplace-only sellers, but Walmart plans to expand access to Sam's Club suppliers next year. CFO John David Rainey noted that Walmart Data Ventures 'continues to drive meaningful growth.'

Walmart

FundingFACT · 4/515 Sept '26· Via techcrunch

AI search marketing startup Profound raises $180M Series D at $1.8B valuation

Profound, a marketing software startup that helps brands appear in AI search results, announced a $180 million Series D funding round at a $1.8 billion valuation, just seven months after its $96 million Series C. The round was co-led by Sequoia and Kleiner Perkins, with participation from existing investors Lightspeed Venture Partners, Khosla Ventures, and South Park Commons. The company, which launched two years ago as an analytics platform, now focuses on generative engine optimization (GEO) and answer engine optimization (AEO), helping businesses understand how AI systems influence consumer brand discovery. Profound reports revenue growth of 3x in the past six months and serves over 1,000 enterprise customers, including Comcast, The Estée Lauder Companies, and Walmart. The funding will likely support expansion and product development in the rapidly growing AI search optimization space.

Walmart Profound Sequoia Capital Estée Lauder Companies Khosla Ventures Comcast Kleiner Perkins Lightspeed Venture Partners

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