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    "parsed_content": "Paramount-Warner Bros. DealAgreement Reached on Antitrust LawsuitTheater Chains Back MergerMerger TrialAdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTSupported bySKIP ADVERTISEMENTParamount to Resolve States\u2019 Lawsuit, Clearing the Way for Warner Bros. AcquisitionThe deal would remove the last significant hurdle the media mogul David Ellison faced to create a news and entertainment empire, home to movie studios, HBO, CBS and CNN.Listen \u00b7 5:17 min Share full articleParamount said the deal was necessary, in part to create a counterweight to increasingly powerful tech companies like Netflix that were muscling in on Hollywood.Credit...Jae C. Hong\/Associated PressBy Benjamin MullinDavid McCabeShawn Hubler and Laurel RosenhallSept. 21, 2026Updated 12:10 p.m. ETSee more of our coverage in your search results.Encuentra m\u00e1s de nuestra cobertura en los resultados de b\u00fasqueda. Add The New York Times on GoogleAgrega The New York Times en Google Paramount reached an agreement on Monday to resolve an antitrust lawsuit delaying its $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, according to four people familiar with the negotiations, eliminating the last significant barrier to the creation of an entertainment and media colossus.A group of states, led by California\u2019s attorney general, Rob Bonta, a Democrat, sued Paramount in July, arguing that an acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery would concentrate too much power over cable TV and blockbuster films under one company.After weeks of on-again-off-again negotiations, Paramount and the states agreed to a number of concessions to complete the deal, according to the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public. The entertainment giant has agreed to establish a board of journalists to ensure the editorial independence of CNN and CBS News and committed to distributing 30 movies in theaters every year. The company also pledged to spend an additional $1.5 billion on film production over the next five years.A completion of the blockbuster deal would create one of the largest entertainment companies in the world. It would pair Paramount\u2019s movie studio with Warner Bros., which has made films like \u201cSuperman,\u201d \u201cA Minecraft Movie\u201d and \u201cSinners.\u201d The combined company would also own two major streaming services, Paramount+ and HBO Max, and control both CNN and CBS News.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTThe deal would make David Ellison, Paramount\u2019s chief executive, one of the most powerful people in the entertainment industry, backed by the fortune of his father, the billionaire Oracle co-founder, Larry Ellison. The Ellison family\u2019s ties to President Trump \u2014 which included a dinner David Ellison hosted this spring \u201chonoring the Trump White House\u201d \u2014 have made Democrats and many journalists at CNN wary of the deal.Paramount and Mr. Bonta did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Bloomberg earlier reported that Paramount had reached a deal with the states.Paramount stopped short of agreeing to concessions that would alter the fundamental makeup of the combined company, such as selling CNN or one of its movie studios. The concessions will be formalized in a consent decree, a mutually agreed upon list of compromises that resolve the lawsuit, the people said. A court still needs to approve it.Paramount has said the deal was necessary, in part, to create a counterweight to increasingly powerful tech companies like Netflix that were muscling in on Hollywood. Paramount has agreed to pay Warner Bros. Discovery\u2019s shareholders $7 million a day if the deal does not close by Oct. 1.Labor organizations, which represent thousands of entertainment industry employees, have been split over the deal, with some viewing it as the most pragmatic option in an industry rocked by economic contraction and technological disruption. But some critics have described Mr. Ellison\u2019s acquisition of Warner Bros. in stark, existential terms, fearing it would lead to massive layoffs and less competition in Hollywood.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTCBS News has also been under a microscope since Mr. Ellison last year handpicked Bari Weiss, a contrarian critic of mainstream media, to be its editor in chief. This year, Ms. Weiss purged the senior leadership of \u201c60 Minutes,\u201d the network\u2019s newsmagazine. Many star correspondents, including Scott Pelley and Anderson Cooper, either quit or were forced out.Some of those who exited said Ms. Weiss tried to inject political bias into the segments, a claim that CBS News has denied. In the aftermath, Mr. Ellison called Lesley Stahl, one of the show\u2019s remaining correspondents, to calm the turmoil and promised editorial independence for \u201c60 Minutes.\u201dNorman Eisen, the leader of a coalition of entertainment and news industry professionals who opposed the deal, said in an interview that his organization, Democracy Defenders, would be establishing a new program as a watchdog for CNN and CBS News.\u201cWe and our partners will be on the case 24\/7 to make sure CNN and CBS News and the new board are held accountable,\u201d Mr. Eisen said.The states and Paramount reached a deal following increasing political pressure. Paramount had threatened to leave California, potentially relocating thousands of jobs.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTAfter Paramount threatened to leave, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is finishing his tenure in January and considering a run for president in 2028, said he was concerned such a move would be a blow to the state\u2019s reputation. Karen Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles, is locked in a tight race for re-election in a city already facing waning work in show business.This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT",
    "published_at": "2026-09-21T15:03:28+00:00",
    "author_name": "Benjamin Mullin, David McCabe, Shawn Hubler, Laurel Rosenhall",
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    "ai_headline": "Paramount to Resolve States\u2019 Lawsuit, Clearing the Way for Warner Bros. Acquisition",
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    "ai_excerpt": "Paramount has reached an agreement to resolve an antitrust lawsuit, removing the final hurdle for its $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The deal includes concessions like establishing a board for CNN and CBS News and committing to theatrical film releases.",
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