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Paramount settles with California, other states over Warner Bros merger: Report
On Monday, the $110 billion Paramount Skydance merger with Warner Bros. Discovery will move forward as the company plans to settle with state attorneys general who sought to block the antitrust deal.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta led a coalition of 11 other states in filing suit mid-July, citing antitrust concerns in film and pay TV as grounds to block the merger.
Paramount faced a ticking fee that would have kicked in after Sept. 30, costing an estimated $650 million per quarter and adding 25 cents per share to WBD shareholders until deal closure.
Avoiding a March trial that would have delayed the deal until mid-2027, the settlement resolves the legal challenge; spokespeople for Paramount and Bonta did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Combining major assets, the deal brings together Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Discovery, while including the CBS broadcast network and HBO Max in the newly consolidated portfolio.