Judge Clears Paramount's $111B Warner Bros. Takeover

Was the right decision to save two struggling studios or is this a disastrous deal for Hollywood?

Published 2 days ago

Judge Clears Paramount's $111B Warner Bros. Takeover

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Above: Stock photo of an aerial view of the Paramount logo. Image credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images

The Spin

Right narrative

Blocking this deal was always a political stunt wrapped in antitrust language, built on a dusty concentration formula that pretends streaming giants don't exist. Keeping two struggling studios artificially separate protects nobody, least of all the crews whose paychecks depend on production staying in California. The judge got it right, and the loudest opponents were chasing headlines, not jobs.

The Wall Street Journal

Paul A. Szypula on X

The Patriot Oasis on X

Left narrative

Shrinking the majors from five to four hands one debt-soaked company control over the screens, the writing jobs and two of the biggest newsrooms in the country. Output promises mean nothing from studios that already missed their own targets, and payroll is always the first thing cut when billions in synergies have to be found. It's hard to imagine a worse deal for workers and press freedom.

Mark Ruffalo on X

Zohran Mamdani on X Yale Insights