GoKawiilParamount settles antitrust suit with 12 states, clears path for Warner Bros. deal
Paramount reached a settlement with a coalition of 12 state attorneys general, led by California's Rob Bonta, who had sued to block its $11 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. The company agreed to establish an editorial independence board overseeing CBS News and CNN, commit to 30 theatrical releases annually, and protect CBS News Broadcast writers from layoffs for five years while paying $17.5 million to the Writers Guild's health fund. The merger is now expected to close in early October, giving Paramount chief David Ellison control over franchises including DC and Harry Potter.
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The settlement removes the last major legal obstacle to one of the biggest media consolidations in recent years, but it comes with unresolved tension over journalistic independence at CNN and CBS News. Some attorneys general, like Connecticut's William Tong, wanted full divestiture of the news outlets and see this deal as a weak compromise that leaves consolidated media power largely unchecked. The outcome also highlights how federal antitrust inaction shifted enforcement burden onto states, which lacked full leverage to impose stricter terms.
- Paramount settled with 12 states to end an antitrust lawsuit blocking its Warner Bros. acquisition.
- The company agreed to editorial safeguards for CBS News and CNN, plus writer protections and payments to the WGA.
- Some officials, including Connecticut's attorney general, say the settlement fails to protect journalistic independence adequately.
Source: engadget.com — Mariella Moon, 2026-09-21
Published there as: “Paramount settles US states' antitrust lawsuit, clearing the way for its Warner Bros. acquisition”
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