California Faces Big Fallout if Paramount Exits, Leaked Study Warns

A leaked LAEDC report, commissioned by Paramount, estimates that if Paramount exits California amid antitrust challenges to the Paramount-Skydance-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, California could incur up to 58,000 lost job-years and $10.6–$21.2 billion in annual economic output, though Paramount’s California production commitments (about 30 features a year for three years) could generate 1,020–2,760 job-years and $377.7 million–$1.01 billion in output; the showdown includes an Oct. 1 deadline, a $7 million-per-day ticking fee if the deal isn’t closed, and Paramount’s threat to relocate to Georgia, Tennessee, or Texas, all shaping a high-stakes negotiation with broad economic implications for the state.