Justice Dept. Clears Way for Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger

The Justice Department will not challenge Paramount’s merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, clearing a major hurdle for the $111 billion deal, the agency said Friday.

The merger would consolidate the ownership of two major movie studios; two major streaming services, Paramount+ and HBO Max; and two television news networks, CNN and CBS News, under the leadership of the tech scion David Ellison.

The scale of that combination has raised concerns that it could reduce the number of buyers for TV and movie scripts and potential employers for actors and crew members, driving down wages and the prices paid for creative material. The Justice Department blocked a publishing deal in 2022 over similar claims.

In an unusual statement announcing its decision, the Department of Justice said its investigation of the deal had included hours of depositions, interviews and meetings that “all led to the same conclusion: The film and television industry is highly dynamic, and the proposed transaction is not likely to harm competition or American consumers.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/12/business/media/paramount-warner-bros-merger.html