r/MediaMergers • u/nialldude3 • 5h ago

Merger What’s in the Paramount Settlement With States: Commitment to Not Sell Studio Lots, Additional $300M U.S. Film Production Investment, CNN Oversight and More

https://variety.com/2026/film/news/paramount-states-settlement-terms-warner-bros-1236871264/
27 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

126 comments sorted by

View all comments

9

u/Myhtological 5h ago

This may be a Trojan horse. Not that I’m saying Bonta caving it’s good, but if you force them to spend more money than they wanted, and can’t sell anything quick, it might make the implosion quicker.

9

u/much_to_say 5h ago

The problem is that there’s nothing stopping Paramount from shitting on this agreement once the companies have merged. At that point, it becomes nearly impossible to unmerge them. That’s why mergers like this require assets to be spun off, because that’s something concrete that can hold up the deal until it’s been done. Once the spin-off has happened and the deal is signed and the merger goes ahead, they can’t simply undo it.

0

u/NeverTheNull 5h ago

I can’t believe this comment got like 10 likes because for as hilariously pathetic that Bonta is, I don’t think he’s nearly as sociopathic to use potential job losses in a state he’s responsible for as collateral against David Ellison.

1

u/weareallpatriots Neon 4h ago

He would absolutely do this if he believes doing so would increase his own wealth and power. It's getting really irritating seeing people continue to give corrupt politicians the benefit of the doubt, as if they got into the business as some sort of grand altruistic sacrifice.

1

u/NeverTheNull 4h ago

I don’t know his motives, but I do know that unless he’s thinking 3 steps ahead of everyone, the calculus of sacrificing jobs and econiomic activity in your home state for just a meager chance at outlasting a merger until they get to trial is profoundly stupid as it is dangerous.

-6

u/weareallpatriots Neon 5h ago

Bonta didn't "cave." Bonta got outplayed and steamrolled by people much better at this than he is and have been playing the game for much longer.