"If Paramount prevails in its $108 billion hostile bid for Warner Bros., it wouldn't need approval from the FCC or Congress, but the contact reflects a broad-based Washington campaign to shore up support for a deal. A Paramount-Warner Bros. tie-up would still face an extended antitrust review around the world. And it would likely have an easier time than Netflix Inc., at least with the federal government in Washington, analysts said."
""Paramount would likely have an easier and faster path to antitrust clearance than Netflix, in our view, not only because of more limited antitrust issues, but also due to the apparent backing of the administration," said Bloomberg Intelligence antitrust analyst Jennifer Rie. The combined market shares of Paramount and Warner in the streaming market would be lower than in the Netflix deal, she said."
David Ellison met high-level Washington figures, including President Donald Trump and FCC Chair Brendan Carr, hours before launching a $108 billion hostile bid for Warner Bros. Ellison sat with top media executives at the Kennedy Center Honors as Paramount pursued the acquisition. The offer would acquire Warner’s TV networks and studios and would not require FCC or congressional approval, though global antitrust reviews by the U.S. DOJ, state attorneys general and the EU are expected. Analysts say U.S. clearance may be quicker than for Netflix due to lower combined streaming share and apparent administration backing, but European and state reviews could be tougher.
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