The bidding war between Paramount Global and Netflix for Warner Bros. continues to intensify, leaving the final outcome uncertain. On February 25th at 12:30 PM, Charles Zhang, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Sohu, hosted a live session of "Charles Zhang's English Lesson," discussing international hot topics bilingually in Chinese and English with viewers, combining English learning with global news.
At the start of the broadcast, Zhang shared the latest developments in American politics. It was reported that on February 24th local time, U.S. President Donald Trump delivered his first State of the Union address to Congress during his second term, outlining the current state of the nation. The speech lasted nearly one hour and fifty minutes, breaking the previous record set by Bill Clinton in 2000 to become the longest State of the Union address in U.S. history.
Shifting focus to the business world, a fierce acquisition battle involving Hollywood giant Warner Bros. is underway. Zhang cited media reports indicating that Paramount Global, backed by Skydance Media, has significantly increased its offer to acquire Warner Bros., aiming to eliminate rival bidder Netflix from the competition entirely.
Warner Bros. was put up for sale last year and had reached a preliminary agreement with Netflix in December to sell its film and streaming businesses for $27.75 per share, while spinning off traditional TV channels like CNN into a separate company. However, Paramount Global recently raised its cash offer to $31 per share, promising additional payments if the deal is delayed, and even expressed willingness to cover the $2.8 billion breakup fee should Warner Bros. terminate its agreement with Netflix. In response, Warner Bros. stated that its board of directors will engage in further negotiations to determine if this new offer constitutes a superior proposal.
Beyond the Hollywood corporate struggle, the live broadcast also covered a grim report from the Russia-Ukraine war front. Zhang explained that, on the fourth anniversary of the conflict's outbreak, the BBC obtained internal information revealing horrifying incidents involving Russian forces on the front lines. Two Russian soldiers, speaking from an undisclosed location while on the run, described the terrifying scenes they witnessed. They stated that commanders would execute soldiers who disobeyed orders on the spot, a practice referred to as "zeroing," intended as a method of intimidation to deter other troops.
Throughout the session, Zhang analyzed key English vocabulary related to the news stories, including terms such as "repeatedly," "diplomacy," "spar," "heavyweight," and "reject." "Charles Zhang's English Lesson" is a flagship knowledge live-streaming program on Sohu Video's subscription feed, airing daily from Monday to Thursday at 12:30 PM. To facilitate review, highlights and key vocabulary summaries from each session are updated on the subscription feed after the broadcast concludes. Chinese versions of the international news discussed are also published via the subscription account "ZhiShi Video."
Concluding the broadcast, Zhang specially recommended the classic film "Sex, Lies, and Videotape" from the updated "Movies Charles Zhang Loves" list on Sohu Video. He also revealed plans to continue recommending one American film he personally admires each day, inviting the audience to gain insights through the art of cinema.