Paramount Skydance Corp. has reached an agreement with the US states to complete its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery for 110 billion dollars. This paves the way for one of the largest mergers in the media industry.
The deal, announced on 21 September 2026, will create a powerful player in film, television, streaming and news. Paramount will avoid a forced sale of key assets such as CNN.
In exchange for approval, the company agreed to a number of conditions. Among them is the annual release of at least 30 films in cinemas in the first two years and 32 in the following three. Paramount also undertakes to increase production spending in the US.
An important point was the creation of an independent editorial board to ensure the independence of CNN and CBS News. This should guarantee objectivity of coverage.
The agreement removes the last serious obstacles. Regulators in the EU and the UK have already given the green light. The combined company will carry debt of about 80 billion dollars.
Paramount CEO David Ellison held negotiations for months. Now the deal can close without additional delays and penalties.
How will concentration on such a scale affect the choice of content and news for viewers?
The agreement also includes payments to the writers' guild fund and a ban on layoffs at CBS News Broadcast for five years. This helps to allay the unions' concerns.
