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Paramount Wbd Merger

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States Move to Slow Paramount-WBD Merger as Court Hears Emergency Challenge
business2 days ago

States Move to Slow Paramount-WBD Merger as Court Hears Emergency Challenge

California AG Rob Bonta and 11 state lawyers filed for emergency relief to halt Paramount’s $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, seeking a TRO and preliminary injunction; Judge P. Casey Pitts is set to hear the motion this week with a ruling likely before July 22. The case centers on antitrust market definitions in wide-release and top-grossing film distribution, with a related WGA challenge and the possibility of a settlement shaping the outcome.

via Deadline|
#antitrust#business#emergency-motions
New York City Mayor Defends Block of Paramount-WBD Deal as Public-Serving?
business4 days ago

New York City Mayor Defends Block of Paramount-WBD Deal as Public-Serving?

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani voiced support for Letitia James and 11 other state attorneys general suing to block the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, calling the $110 billion deal “not a merger that serves the public” and warning it would concentrate control over movies and cable, raise prices, and threaten the livelihoods of New York artists and theaters; Paramount contends the suit would delay entertainment workers’ projects and harm the industry.

via Deadline|
#antitrust#business#entertainment-industry
UK Signals Possible Intervention in Paramount-WBD Merger Over Public Interest
business17 days ago

UK Signals Possible Intervention in Paramount-WBD Merger Over Public Interest

UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said she is minded to intervene in Paramount’s $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery to assess whether the deal serves UK public interests and affects media plurality for UK audiences. She has written to Paramount and WBD; representations are due by July 6. An intervention would trigger Ofcom to examine on‑demand services and the CMA to assess competition, with CMA’s merger inquiry already underway. Paramount maintains the deal raises no media-plurality concerns, while the EU is expected to clear by July 7.

via Deadline|
#business#cma#media-plurality
Archivists Fight Back Against Paramount-WBD Merger Over Archive Access
media26 days ago

Archivists Fight Back Against Paramount-WBD Merger Over Archive Access

Archivists warn that a Paramount-WBD merger could give private control of CNN and CBS News archives, risking reduced public access to historical footage. Led by the Archival Producers Alliance, they argue the consolidation could affect memory and storytelling, cite past licensing panics, and spotlight concerns about AI blurring reality in documentaries. The issue was foregrounded at the Bentonville Film Festival with calls to safeguard archives and access.

via Deadline|
#ai-in-archives#archival-producers-alliance#cbs-news-archive
DOJ Clears Paramount-WBD Merger Amid Internal Antitrust Tension
business1 month ago

DOJ Clears Paramount-WBD Merger Amid Internal Antitrust Tension

Senior DOJ officials reportedly cleared Paramount’s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery before career antitrust lawyers, who had been leaning toward blocking the deal, could issue a recommendation; the division later said the transaction is not likely to harm competition, while state and international regulators continue reviewing potential antitrust implications.

via Variety|
#antitrust#business#doj-antitrust-division
Paramount-WBD Merger Faces Intensifying Regulatory Scrutiny
business2 months ago

Paramount-WBD Merger Faces Intensifying Regulatory Scrutiny

Opposition to Paramount’s planned merger with Warner Bros. Discovery is intensifying, with House Democrats, state attorneys general, and Hollywood figures urging a rigorous review of foreign ownership and its potential impact on competition and local journalism. Regulators, including FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, are being pressed to scrutinize the deal, which would place about 49.5% of the combined company under foreign investors. Proponents argue the tie-up could boost output with a slate of around 30 films per year, while critics question whether it would meaningfully harm competition given the reported market shares. With a September close still the target, many opponents are focusing on concessions like labor protections or production guarantees rather than outright blocking.

via Variety|
#antitrust#business#fcc-review
Middle East Funds Take 38.5% Equity Slice in Paramount-WBD, Filing Shows
business2 months ago

Middle East Funds Take 38.5% Equity Slice in Paramount-WBD, Filing Shows

Paramount’s FCC filing reveals that the merged Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery will have 38.5% of its equity owned by foreign investors, allocated to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (15.1%), UAE’s SWF (12.8%), and Qatar Investment Authority (10.6%), with no board seats or voting rights for these investors. The company is seeking a declaratory ruling to permit indirect foreign ownership above 25% and to allow future increases up to 20% for certain non-controlling investors. The Ellison family and RedBird Capital will retain the largest stake and 100% voting power, while European regulatory approvals and potential state challenges remain in play.

via Variety|
#business#fcc-declaratory-ruling#foreign-ownership
Paramount Seeks FCC Approval as WBD Merger Projects 49.5% Foreign Ownership
business2 months ago

Paramount Seeks FCC Approval as WBD Merger Projects 49.5% Foreign Ownership

Paramount has filed with the FCC to approve a 49.5% foreign-ownership stake in the planned Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, with about 24% held by three Middle East funds. The company says non-U.S. investors are passive and the arrangement will boost capital to compete in television and video programming. The $110 billion deal is expected to close by September, though some state attorneys general are reviewing antitrust options; Netflix’s earlier bid for Paramount’s studios division was eclipsed by Paramount’s full-merger offer.

via Deadline|
#business#capital-access#fcc
Hollywood Voices Rally Against Mega-Studio Merger
business3 months ago

Hollywood Voices Rally Against Mega-Studio Merger

More than 1,400 actors, directors and filmmakers signed an open letter opposing the $111 billion Paramount-Warner Bros Discovery merger, warning it would reduce competition, limit opportunities for creators, and cost jobs; Paramount Skydance argues the deal would boost output and maintain competitive, independent avenues as regulators weigh approval.

via BBC|
#business#hollywood#merger
Lindelof Backs Open Letter Against Paramount-WBD Merger, Citing Jobs at Risk
entertainment3 months ago

Lindelof Backs Open Letter Against Paramount-WBD Merger, Citing Jobs at Risk

Damon Lindelof joined a blue-collar-themed open letter opposing Paramount’s proposed $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, warning the deal could threaten thousands of film/TV crew jobs and shrink production. He describes Hollywood as a blue‑collar town and notes other high-profile signatories like Noah Wyle, Emma Thompson, Don Cheadle, and Jane Fonda, illustrating labor- and antitrust-focused concerns amid ongoing scrutiny.

via Deadline|
#antitrust#damon-lindelof#entertainment
Blue States Rally to Slow Paramount-WBD Mega-Merger
business4 months ago

Blue States Rally to Slow Paramount-WBD Mega-Merger

California Attorney General Rob Bonta says he is coordinating with other blue-state AGs to scrutinize Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery’s roughly $110 billion merger over competition concerns, signaling rising state-level antitrust pressure as the deal moves toward closing. New York, Washington, Virginia and Pennsylvania are among the jurisdictions in play, with critics arguing the consolidation could reduce production options and raise costs. The arrangement carries large potential penalties if regulatory conditions aren’t met, and it remains under federal antitrust review as regulators weigh the deal.

via Deadline|
#antitrust#blue-states-coordination#business