U.K. Backs Paramount’s $110 Billion Warner Bros. Discovery Deal

Aug 06, 2026 10:07 PM - 1 hour ago 2

Topline

The U.K.’s antitrust watchdog and civilization curate connected Thursday approved Paramount Skydance’s $110 cardinal takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, clearing different awesome regulatory hurdle contempt Paramount agreeing to hold its woody until adjacent twelvemonth amid wide antitrust concerns.

Paramount agreed to push backmost its acquisition amid an antitrust lawsuit.

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Key Facts

The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority said Thursday it decided against referring Paramount’s woody for Warner Bros. for further regulatory scrutiny, ruling the takeover does not raise immoderate title concerns.

Lisa Nandy, the U.K’s caput of authorities for culture, media and sport, said successful a connection she opted against intervening, citing “assurances” and “legally binding commitments” from Paramount, including that it would support “distinct editorial identities of cardinal services and the editorial independency of news.”

Under the deal, Paramount would run Channel 5 News and CNN International, and the U.K. authorities said the patient promised to “ensure that Channel 5 News maintains its editorial independence” and that its editorial guidance will “remain wholly abstracted from CBS News and CNN International.”

surprising fact

Paramount’s assurances for editorial independency from its news networks travel aft CEO David Ellison wrote successful an op-ed for The New York Times that scrutiny of his firm’s woody for Warner Bros. had focused connected “whether I tin beryllium trusted arsenic a steward of Warner’s CNN.” Ellison said location had been “speculation astir my politics, my loyalties, my intentions,” and while “I can’t springiness anyone a position into my bosom and mind,” he had “regularly” voted for candidates connected either broadside of the aisle and that he holds immoderate views “that would beryllium called blimpish and others that would beryllium called liberal, conscionable for illustration astir Americans.” He wrote, “Our journalists will proceed to reply to the facts and to each the group they serve—not to immoderate statement aliases cause.”

big number

More than $1.9 billion. That’s the magnitude successful ticking fees that Paramount agreed to salary if its woody for Warner Bros. has not cleared by June 2027.

key background

Regulatory clearance successful the U.K. marks different milestone for Paramount’s $110 cardinal woody for Warner Bros., pursuing the European Union’s support past month. The European Commission said Paramount’s deal—announced successful February aft Netflix pulled its ain offer—had “fully [addressed]” title concerns aft the bequest media patient agreed to concessions, including an statement to divest its liking successful a movie distribution associated task pinch United International Pictures successful Europe. The merger has faced wide scrutiny, including from the Writers Guild of America and 12 attorneys general—both groups that sued to artifact the transaction. Paramount agreed to push backmost its woody to 2027 until a judge decides successful the antitrust suit revenge by 12 states, which based on the woody would consequence successful “higher prices, little value and little contented for movie and television.”