D.C. Memo: California Democrat Rob Bonta Strikes Again
Golden State’s Attorney General forms 12-state coalition to block Paramount Skydance-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, hoping to reprise success in halting Nexstar-TEGNA from integrating their operations
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Merger: A coalition of 12 state attorneys general sued July 13 to block Paramount Skydance’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, arguing the deal would create an entertainment giant with outsized control over film, television and streaming. Filed in federal court in Northern California and led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D), the lawsuit challenges a merger that would unite Paramount and Warner Bros. studios, combine Paramount+ and HBO Max steaming apps, and assemble the country’s largest portfolio of TV networks, including CBS, CNN, TNT, MTV and BET.
“This proposed $110 billion merger, the largest in Hollywood history, would extinguish competition between Paramount and Warner Bros. and inflict substantial harm on movie [theaters], basic cable distributors, and, ultimately, audiences nationwide,” the 38‑page lawsuit said. (More after paywall)
