Experts warn Paramount‑Warner merger faces real threats

Champagne reportedly flowed at Paramount Skydance headquarters late last week after the media conglomerate edged out Netflix to acquire the entirety of Warner Bros Discovery for a cool $110bn. On a call with analysts and investors, David Ellison, Paramount Skydance’s chief executive, said the company was “absolutely confident” the merger will expeditiously pass regulatory muster both in the US and abroad.

“We’ve been engaging with regulators around the world and the combination does not come close to hitting any of the metrics that would be problematic,” Ellison said. Antitrust experts say the deal is not guaranteed to close. Alvaro Bedoya, who served on the Federal Trade Commission, said: “I definitely think they have a shot at stopping it if they pool their resources to make a challenge.” California attorney general Rob Bonta posted that he was “in conversation” with fellow state attorneys general and warned: “Paramount/Warner Bros is not a done deal” as the California Department of Justice has an open investigation.

United States, California

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