The Paramount-Warner Bros mega-merger still has a few hurdles to get over

"We've been engaging with regulators around the world and the combination does not come close to hitting any of the metrics that would be problematic. Ellison said. But the deal, which drew outraged statements from many Democratic members of the US Senate, doesn't necessarily have a glide path to closing, antitrust and competition experts say."

"I definitely think they have a shot at stopping it if they pool their resources to make a challenge, Alvaro Bedoya, who served on the Federal Trade Commission between 2022 and 2025, said in an interview."

"Paramount/Warner Bros is not a done deal, Bonta said in a statement after the deal was announced. These two Hollywood titans have not cleared regulatory scrutiny the California Department of Justice has an open investigation, and we intend to be vigorous in our review."

"A combined lawsuit by state attorneys general presents a real threat, Bill Baer, who served as assistant attorney general in charge of the antitrust division of the US Department of Justice from 2013 to 2016, told the Guardian."

Paramount Skydance acquired Warner Bros Discovery for $110 billion, beating Netflix in the bidding process. CEO David Ellison expressed confidence the merger would pass regulatory scrutiny in the US and internationally, stating the combination does not meet problematic metrics. However, antitrust experts warn the deal faces significant obstacles. While Congress cannot block it, state attorneys general could file lawsuits to challenge the merger in court. California's attorney general Rob Bonta indicated his office is investigating and coordinating with other state attorneys general to review the deal. Former FTC official Alvaro Bedoya suggested state attorneys general have a viable chance of stopping the merger if they pool resources. Former DOJ antitrust chief Bill Baer noted that coordinated state legal action presents a real threat to the deal's completion.

Read at www.theguardian.com