Paramount Threatens California Exit Over Antitrust Talks

Paramount CEO David Ellison warned that Paramount could begin moving operations out of California as soon as Oct. 1 if the state AG refuses to open settlement talks over the Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery merger antitrust suit; he said the Paramount Skydance board approved a plan to relocate Paramount first, with a broader five-year shift of studio jobs to states like Georgia, Texas and Tennessee. A $7 million-per-day ticking fee would start accruing on Oct. 1 and could total about $1.2 billion by the trial’s end in March 2027. California’s Rob Bonta has said remedies must be structural (divestitures), not behavioral. Paramount declined to comment. The merger is being financed with about $24 billion from Middle East sovereign funds, and if approved, the combined company would have a significant foreign ownership stake.”,