US Antitrust Regulators Near Approval of Paramount‑Skydance $110B Warner Bros. Discovery Deal

U.S. antitrust regulators appear ready to clear the $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by Paramount Skydance. The Department of Justice held a two‑hour meeting in which Paramount CEO David Ellison pledged to keep movies in theaters and argued the merger would not harm competition, other studios, or creative talent. DOJ attorneys seemed persuaded by these assurances, despite earlier subpoenas investigating the deal’s impact on streaming rights, studio production, and cinema employment.

The proposed combination would unite several long‑standing entertainment franchises, drawing intense scrutiny from Hollywood figures and Wall Street. Over 3,500 signatories, including Jane Fonda, J.J. Abrams and Mark Ruffalo, have warned that the merger could reduce opportunities for creators, cut jobs, and raise consumer costs. Paramount has offered to pay Warner shareholders a quarterly “delay fee” of $0.25 per share if the transaction does not close by October.