NBC-Uni, DreamWorks No Longer a Blind Item

Giving final nod to the NYPost scoop last week, Variety reports today that the Board of GE has given Bob Wright the go ahead to enter negotiations to acquire DreamWorks. While "one Universal insider figures there's less than a 50% chance the two sides will be able to agree on price," it would help cash out SKG's early investors (including Paul Allen) and consolidate existing distribution relationships with Universal.

It appears that NBC-Universal is seeking to add content to their library and secure future distribution content. If this is the case, then it looks more like a defensive move to maintain their distribution slate and prevent competitors from grabbing DreamWorks output.

A quick aside: The home page of GE currently has an incongruous picture of Topher Grace promoting the DVD release of In Good Company between an announcement of a new partnership to better detect water-born infectious microorganisms and a healthcare alliance for Alzheimer's research.