Paramount-Warner Bros Discovery merger
One page that accretes the verified record as the story develops. Every fact keeps its date and its sources.
Mark Ruffalo accused of antisemitism over Paramount merger remarks
Hannah Einbinder called the antisemitism allegation against Ruffalo ludicrous.
Hollywood producers Haim Saban, Lawrence Bender and Teddy Schwarzman accused Mark Ruffalo of antisemitism in a statement issued by a group called The Brigade.
Mark Ruffalo rejected the accusation that his remarks were antisemitic.
Paramount merger delay and implications for WBD
WBD expects to surpass 150 million global streaming subscribers by the end of 2026.
Paramount has agreed to pay $31 per share to acquire WBD as part of a proposed $110 billion sale.
The merger agreement includes interim operating covenants allowing WBD to run itself as an independent entity while the deal moves toward closing.
California Attorney General cancels Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery settlement talks
Bonta accused Paramount of leaking the alleged substance of settlement discussions and misrepresenting those discussions.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signaled his support on Friday for settlement talks in the antitrust suit seeking to block the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger.
Paramount said it has not been the source of leaks of its confidential discussions with the AG's office and remains ready to continue good faith discussions.
California AG Rob Bonta cancels Paramount settlement meeting
The California attorney general is leading a group of states in suing to block Paramount Skydance's planned merger with WBD.
Bonta and 11 other state AGs filed suit in July to block the merger.
Bonta said the focus of his lawsuit is not on streaming, CNN, or foreign regulators.
Paramount-WBD antitrust challenge chills media M&A
The Paramount-WBD deal had already won approval from global regulators, including the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division.
Jonathan Miller is CEO of Integrated Media, which owns a portfolio of media and creator ventures.
NBCUniversal recently formed a partnership between its Peacock streaming service and YouTube.
“While we do not view [the] Roku transaction as creating meaningful horizontal or vertical concentration concerns, current regulatory developments for [the] PSKY-WBD process indicate that transaction timing can be unpredictable even when the underlying antitrust arguments appear relatively weak,”
Paramount and California AG settlement talks in WBD merger lawsuit
A meeting was held at Bonta's office on Friday, and another meeting was slated for Monday to discuss settlement.
Paramount denied being the source of the leak.
Bonta said any settlement would require 'robust structural remedies.'
Paramount and California AG office schedule meeting to discuss Warner Bros. Discovery settlement
A coalition of 12 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit in July to challenge the proposed $110 billion acquisition.
European antitrust regulators approved the merger deal in July.
The antitrust division of the U.S. Department of Justice cleared the proposed merger in June.
“[Paramount] wanted to talk about everything except for what this case is about. They want to talk about the streaming market, which we don't allege in our complaint. They want to talk about CNN, which is not a focus of our complaint. They want to talk about the foreign regulators. We want to talk about the three markets that we set forth in our complaint, where we think there's antitrust violation,”
Mark Ruffalo responds to Paramount regarding merger criticism
Paramount stated that words like 'genocide' and 'apartheid' applied to a corporate transaction are wrong and cheapen real suffering.
Mark Ruffalo called the accusation that he is antisemitic "appalling and fundamentally dishonest".
The proposed merger is being challenged by a coalition of 12 state attorneys general.
“really profoundly scary technologies”
Paramount and state AGs negotiations in WBD merger fight
Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguín indicated that Paramount and the plaintiffs would engage in mediation as part of the pre-trial process.
The judge said she will hold a hearing to consider the bond request on September 24.
Paramount is attempting to merge its movie studio and television operations with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).
Paramount Criticizes Mark Ruffalo's Comments Regarding Warner Bros. Discovery Merger
Twelve state attorneys general have brought an ongoing lawsuit seeking to block the merger.
Mark Ruffalo claimed the merger could lead to the elimination of 4,500 filmmaking jobs and 10,000 related positions.
A Paramount spokesperson stated that using words like "genocide" and "apartheid" regarding a corporate transaction is wrong and cheapens real suffering.
“really profoundly scary technologies”
LA Mayor Karen Bass Backs Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery Settlement
Karen Bass urged Paramount Skydance and California Attorney General Rob Bonta to reach a settlement on the antitrust lawsuit brought by 12 state regulators.
WGA West released a statement expressing disappointment in Bass's call for a settlement.
Movie theater trade organization Cinema United shifted its stance and called for a settlement to prevent industry uncertainty.
“Too many productions are at a standstill, which means Angelenos are out of a job and they’re not getting paid. As mayor, I cannot stand by as the job security of thousands of hardworking union members is being put at risk. That is why we are calling on Paramount, Attorney General Rob Bonta and all relevant parties to come together, engage directly and in good faith and work urgently to find common ground and keep our vital industry in Los Angeles.”
California AG says Paramount-WBD lawsuit settlement would require structural remedies
“[Paramount] wanted to talk about everything except for what this case is about. They want to talk about the streaming market, which we don't allege in our complaint. They want to talk about CNN, which is not a focus of our complaint. They want to talk about the foreign regulators. We want to talk about the three markets that we set forth in our complaint, where we think there's antitrust violation,”
Teamsters criticize Paramount over WBD merger promises and threats
A trial on the attorneys general's antitrust action has been set for spring 2027.
Ellison has given assurances of editorial independence for CNN and a 30-movie-a-year release schedule.
Larry Ellison is personally backing a big portion of the merger.
Ellison offers theaters contract guarantee for Paramount-Warner Bros. 30-film slate
Ellison has pledged that a merged Paramount and Warner Bros. company will release at least 30 titles per year in theaters.
David Ellison is the CEO of Paramount Skydance.
The trial for the antitrust lawsuit against the merged Paramount-Warner Bros. is slated to start in March 2027.
“In my career, ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’ met financial expectations, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ exceeded them, and ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’ fell short. I am proud of all these films, but nobody can dictate what audiences will love,”
UK approves Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger
A 12-day antitrust trial is scheduled to start in early March 2027.
The US Department of Justice announced in June 2026 that it would not block the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger.
Paramount has received regulatory clearances from the European Union, China, Canada, and Australia.
“Paramount has promised to ensure that Channel 5 News maintains its editorial independence, that its editorial direction shall remain entirely separate from CBS News and CNN International, and that CNN International will continue to be available in the U.K. In addition, it has given assurances that the provider of Channel 5 News will continue to have editorial control and independence over news programming and that bona fide licensees will enjoy continued access to the CNN, CBS News and Channel 5 news archives on standard commercial terms.”
Paramount-Warner Bros. antitrust trial set for March 2027
California attorney general Rob Bonta is leading the states' lawsuit against the merger.
The antitrust trial seeking to block the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger is scheduled to begin on March 2, 2027.
A coalition of 12 state attorneys general and the Writers Guild of America requested the trial be held in April 2027.
Ari Emanuel backs Paramount-WBD deal, blasts states' antitrust lawsuit
Emanuel stated he is a lifelong Democrat.
Paramount will pay a ticking fee of $650 million per quarter if the deal is not closed.
Paramount agreed not to close the acquisition deal before June 1, 2027, or a favorable ruling.
“The attorneys general don’t get to ignore the platforms that compete every day for audiences, talent, capital and content just because it makes their case harder. Believe me, as somebody who’s in those rooms, every green light, marketing budget and release date is decided against the reality of that broadly competitive environment.”
Paramount and Warner Bros. pause $110bn merger amid legal challenge
The WBD merger agreement technically expires on June 7 if the deal hasn't closed.
A breakup fee of $7 billion will be owed to WBD if the deal is abandoned.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the agreement is great news for audiences, movie theaters, and creative workers.
“It remains our view that this merger is unlawful, and we will continue the fight to block it,”
Judge extends emergency order pausing Paramount-Warner Bros. merger
Paramount seeks three-day hearing as judge weighs preliminary injunction
The state AGs opposed the proposed change in schedule, arguing that Paramount seeks to upend it at the eleventh hour.
The WGA legal team objected to Paramount's proposed schedule, arguing that no party has taken any discovery in the case and that Defendants have not produced a single document or piece of data to Plaintiffs.
Paramount said it would consent to an extension of the TRO to cover the period through a decision by the Court.
“has already recognized Defendants’ proof ‘creates disputes regarding the facts’ that need to be resolved to fully analyze the competitive effects of the transaction. … An evidentiary hearing would allow the Court to do so regarding critical factual issues including market definition, real-world competitive dynamics, barriers to expansion, and incentives. Resolving these factual disputes is essential to answering the fundamental question of whether Plaintiffs have carried their burden to prove that the proposed transaction substantially lessens competition. It does not.”
Judge pauses Paramount-Warner Bros. merger
Martinez-Olguin is a judge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in Oakland.
A federal judge ordered a temporary halt to the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger on Monday.
A hearing on the preliminary injunction is set for Aug. 3.
California AG Rob Bonta says CNN spin-off wouldn't resolve Paramount–WBD lawsuit
Bonta said the coalition would consider a settlement offer if it included structural remedies but was not interested in behavioral remedies.
Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín declined to rule on Friday and said she will issue a ruling on a temporary restraining order by Wednesday, July 22.
Bonta characterized Paramount's reported threat to move out of California as what a monopolist would do and a desperate attempt to blackmail the states.
States sue Paramount to block $111 billion Warner Bros. merger
If Paramount is allowed to acquire Warner Bros., four studios will control over 85 percent of all wide-release theatrical films.
A coalition of 12 state attorneys general led by California has sued Paramount to stop its $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Paramount stated that the lawsuit reflects a fundamentally flawed application of the antitrust laws.
“The practical effect of this lawsuit is to shield those dominant streaming platforms like Netflix and technology companies from much-needed competition while preventing the significant benefits this transaction will deliver for consumers, creators, workers and the broader Hollywood economy,”