The U.S. Department of Justice has closed its antitrust investigation into the proposed merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, concluding that the deal is unlikely to harm competition and clearing a major regulatory hurdle for the transaction.**
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has officially closed its antitrust investigation into the proposed merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, concluding that the transaction is not likely to harm competition or consumers.
After an eight-month review, the DOJ said it examined the potential impact of the deal on streaming services, linear television, and film production and distribution. The agency determined that the merger would not substantially reduce competition in any of those areas and could even strengthen competition across the media and entertainment landscape.
The decision marks a major regulatory milestone for the proposed $111 billion transaction, which would combine some of the industry’s most recognizable brands, including Paramount, CBS, Warner Bros., HBO Max and CNN. While the DOJ’s approval removes a significant hurdle, the deal still requires clearance from regulators in other jurisdictions and may face additional scrutiny from some U.S. state attorneys general.
Paramount welcomed the decision, thanking regulators for their review process as the company continues to pursue completion of the merger.
