California Attorney General Rob Bonta responded to the Department of Justice Antitrust Division announcement on Friday regarding its approval of the $111 billion merger with media giants Paramount and Warner Bros.
As The New York Times reported, the decision not to challenge the merger eliminated “one of the last major obstacles for the deal to close.”
The remaining obstacles are state attorneys general, including Bonta and New York AG Letitia James, and overseas regulators including British antitrust regulator The Competition and Markets Authority, which announced last week that it is launching its own investigation of the deal and will release a decision before August 7, 2026.
Bonta warned on social media: “The merger of Warner Bros and Paramount is not a done deal and remains under investigation by my office.”
Politico reported that Paramount Chief Legal Officer Makan Delrahim sent a letter to Bonta in May urging California not to challenge the transaction, “arguing that the deal is pro-competitive because it would create a stronger rival to Netflix while expanding theatrical releases and investment in film production.”
[NOTE: In addition to the two movie production companies, the merger also includes the consolidation under one entity of two major television news networks, CNN and CBS News. Paramount is run by David Ellison, son of billionaire Oracle founder Larry Ellison.]
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