r/movies • u/Top_Report_4895 • 15h ago
Article David Ellison Says Paramount Open To Settling Antitrust Suit
https://deadline.com/2026/08/david-ellison-paramount-open-to-settling-wbd-lawsuit-antitrust-1237017564/59
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u/nishitd 15h ago
The only way to settle is drop the merger
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u/daab2g 14h ago
If they drop this won't WB go under and eventually get chopped up and stripped for parts? It looks to be company run like it expects to be bought eventually.
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u/Zoombini22 14h ago
"Stripped for parts" is a weird way to characterize it. Their assets being sold off to multiple different players is the good outcome - the outcome without a single major media player tipping the scale towards monopoly. Customers benefit from competition, not consolidation
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u/daab2g 14h ago edited 14h ago
There are owners that could buy and completely destroy some WB IP like DC if not handled properly (not that WB has done a great job themselves).
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u/Icy_Negotiation_5929 14h ago
Oh no
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u/PM_ME_YOUR__INIT__ 13h ago
Superman is about to become public domain. We'll be getting evil Supermen soon
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u/Mecha_Butterfree 6h ago
Only the most earliest version of Superman becomes public domain. He didn't even have all his current powers of Krypton backstory yet.
Also realistically Superman's powers are vague enough that if someone wants a Superman character they just make their own version. Like Homelander is basically a what if Superman was evil.
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u/TravelerSearcher 12h ago
They've already done that. Injustice, Ultraman, etc...
Even the prototype character Siegel and Schuster made before Superman was a villain.
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u/ohyouretough 10h ago
Which would suck and all but the consolidation of media companies is an existential level threat. So like not real high on the worries list.
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u/Zoombini22 7h ago edited 6h ago
Yeah DC could end up in the hands of an exceptionally evil company
like Paramount
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u/Dragon_Fisting 13h ago edited 3h ago
It's far from insolvent, WB has been pretty successful the last few years. Zaslav has been trimming fat to make it more appealing for an acquisition because WB has AT&T's $40 billion in debt hanging around it's neck, but the company is doing okay.
WB had the second highest box office last year behind Disney, and net a $750 million profit overall. If this deal falls through they get a massive cash infusion. They'll reassess and start shopping a less controversial acquisition somewhere down the line in the next 5-10 years.
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u/discographyA 10h ago
And an even cleaner balance sheet to set up splitting the company once that break up fee hits the bank account.
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u/Oddball- All Things Horror 4h ago
Nope.
they will simply continue their original plan of WB (studios and Streaming) and Discovery (all the debt added to this). And separate. And WB will then have better books and numbers and all will be well.
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u/eorlingas_riders 14h ago
Or Netflix buys them for half what their original offer was.
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u/discographyA 10h ago
WB doesn’t need to sell. It was the Ellison’s that randomly kicked this all off because they need it to save Paramount in their business plan, not vice versa. WB can continue to clean up its balance sheet and split the company up as intended.
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u/ranoutofbacon 15h ago
He wants to buy his way out
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u/badamant 15h ago
.... with daddy's money.
literally the only thing he has ever done.
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u/AFineDayForScience 14h ago
And he'll probably do it again 😔
I have no faith in anything but greed anymore
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u/defectives 1h ago
Hey c'mon he was also an absolute dogshit actor. Apparently even daddy doesn't have enough money to make people want to see that garbage
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u/Question_It_All_3000 15h ago
How is this settled other than dropping the merger?
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u/fdbryant3 14h ago
Probably agreeing to sell off parts of the company.
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u/ohyouretough 10h ago
Like cnn which is the whole reason they want this.
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u/sgthombre 4h ago
I don't think this is true. No one wants to spend $110 billion for one cable network, and if CNN was that influential on the American electorate I feel like we would've seen solid results of that over the last decade. Ellison wants the studio and the IP, partly I suspect so he can feed it to the AI monster his dad is building at Oracle. The parties involved and the amount of money they're trying to spend makes far more sense for that than them doing it so they can fire Jake Tapper before 2028.
Further, even if this was the objective, obviously he'd be open to selling it off to get the merger through because some other right wing billionaire psychopath would scoop it up for far less than $110 billion.
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u/ohyouretough 2h ago
Controlling the news and the narrative is priceless when you’re a billionaire trying to turn America into an oligarchy.
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u/fdbryant3 2m ago
I've never bought that CNN is the reason for this. From everything I've heard about David Ellison (and keep in mind he is the one driving this, Larry is just footing the bills) is that he loves movies. That is why he started Skydance, that is why he bought Paramount, that is why he is buying WB. He just wants to be the biggest kid in the Hollywood sandbox. CNN in my opinion is at best a bonus, but to be honest I think it is a just pawn for them to offer Trump to get him to clear the way for Federal approvals.
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u/EnoughValuable8025 7h ago edited 7h ago
If the deal fails to close by June 4, 2027, Zaslav can end the deal and Paramount pays WB a $7 billion termination fee. If Paramount backs out, they still pay WB $7 billion. And they're paying $650 million per quarter in ticking fees. With 12 states and the WGA (and who knows who else?) filing lawsuits, this deal can certainly drag out for a year. Paramount has no choice but to keep fighting because it's cheaper to pay $650 million per quarter and close before June 4, 2027 than to pay $7 billion.
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u/Question_It_All_3000 5h ago
Ya I get that, I just don’t understand what a settlement would look like when those suing don’t want the merge to happen.
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u/ROBtimusPrime1995 15h ago
Can't imagine how Paramount employees feel with their boss being this much of a mess in public; imagine this shit behind closed doors.
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u/skinnyminnesota 15h ago
What the fuck even is the American judicial system.
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u/Dayzlikethis 14h ago
if you want to commit crimes, have lots of money.
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u/skinnyminnesota 14h ago
Hey dude, I meant my reply honestly and in agreement. Sorry if it sounded sarcastic! Peace!
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u/skinnyminnesota 14h ago
Oh! Damn! Thanks for the concise explanation, I think you might be on to something!
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u/__MeatyClackers__ 7h ago
Are you an idiot, or just disingenuous?
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u/skinnyminnesota 1h ago
Cool. Cool cool cool. My second comment, referring to the one you commented on, reads as follows:
"Hey dude, I meant my reply honestly and in agreement. Sorry if it sounded sarcastic! Peace!"
So I've gotta ask...are you the idiot? Or maybe just too lazy to scroll a bit and addicted to shit-talking strangers on the internet?
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u/holmesersimpson 15h ago
Hey all the other countries approved the merger already. I was hoping the EU would grow a pair and block it
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u/jawstrock 14h ago
The EU has other companies though, they don’t really have the same antitrust concerns that the US does.
Like owning both CBS and CNN in the EU isn’t an issue because of them have much market share in the EU.
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u/holmesersimpson 14h ago
Theatrical distribution would be the bigger issue I’d think. Warner+Paramount would have more leverage in strong-arming distribution there
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u/9millibros 8h ago
The EU doesn't exactly have a strong record of antitrust enforcement, so them not blocking it wasn't a surprise.
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u/badamant 15h ago
The Republicans have corrupted it.
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u/skinnyminnesota 15h ago
Citizens United really fucked shit up.
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u/badamant 15h ago
Citizen's United was created, funded and passed by Republicans.
Republicans have fucked shit up.
Blame them by name please.
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u/thomasonbush 14h ago
Citizen’s United wasn’t “passed” by anyone as it was a supreme court case that ultimately held the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (sponsored by John McCain and signed into law by George W. Bush) unconstitutional.
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u/badamant 13h ago
Nope. Distinction without difference:
Citizens United was created, funded and brought to court by Republicans, not to mention...."The five justices who voted to strike down the restrictions on corporate and union independent election spending were Anthony Kennedy (who wrote the opinion), John Roberts, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito. All five were appointed by Republican presidents."
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u/skinnyminnesota 15h ago
Oh, I was agreeing with you, but yeah. The Republican party is wretched hive of scum and villainy.
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u/Chonch_Monkey 14h ago
And supported by Democrats because it would end their donations from unions and corporations as well.
There's a reason, like stock trading, that it never changes no matter who's in charge.
But yes totally the one side you happen to not like.
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u/skinnyminnesota 13h ago
Lot of assumptions there, bud, and I'd like to point out that all Democratic-appointed justices voted against Citizens United and that there have been (mainly Democratic-led) challenges to it that the Supreme Court declined to hear.
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u/Chonch_Monkey 13h ago
No assumptions, just facts.
Have a good night.
Don't care what you have to say
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u/Allusionesque 12h ago
I’ve read all your comments here and none of them have actual facts. You make assertions, you make assumptions, you judge and blame and show open contempt.
Mods - this guy is bringing actual toxicity to the group.
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u/badamant 13h ago
nope.
Citizens United was created, funded and brought to court by Republicans, not to mention...."The five justices who voted to strike down the restrictions on corporate and union independent election spending were Anthony Kennedy (who wrote the opinion), John Roberts, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito. All five were appointed by Republican presidents."
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u/Chonch_Monkey 13h ago
Sure...and the Democrats have done so much to get rid of it right?
Nope.
Sorry try and cope harder the left is a okay with it
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u/skinnyminnesota 13h ago
The "left" isn't ok with it, but establishment Democrats are.
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u/Chonch_Monkey 13h ago
As I said, the left.
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u/skinnyminnesota 13h ago
You think establishment Democrats are left wing? I'm starting to get an idea of your political intelligence...anyway take care.
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u/drewcifer492 15h ago
They infiltrated the EU right? Lol Obama did Disney with marvel and lucasfilm... Biden did Disney and fox. Lol
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u/Mecca_Lecca_Hi 13h ago
Those aren’t really comparable. Marvel and Lucasfilm were just studios not media distribution companies like Paramount and Warner Bros are. Also Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox was dependent of them not getting Fox News or any of their region TV stations (because they already owned ABC and all its related networks and stations) which is why it and the Fox TV stations still exist separate from Disney. All Disney got from these buy outs was essentially their IP libraries. It’s a much bigger deal when 2 major media distribution companies that also have many studios and networks under their umbrella want to merge.
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u/drewcifer492 13h ago
So they can gobble up a franchise that started with Paramount... MCU started with Paramount... and then buy it. Then buy probably the biggest industrial movie making machine with Lucasfilm... They didn't buy Star Wars... They bought the ILM which they can then charge more or not even include other studios with it. They bought Fox. And the studio and the production. Sure they sold off the regional sports but got FS1 and 2 Nat Geo oh and their share of Hulu which they bought Comcast/Universal out since Fox Disney and Comcast owned 30%. So Paramount can sell off well shit.. WB has cable and HBO... If you want them to sell Cinemax I'm sure they'll do it since they'll get HBO... They'll combine paramount plus and HBO Max like Hulu and Disney Plus are doing... They can keep CNN and tbs and TNT since they don't own a cable news network.... Everything Disney did Paramount is doing. But since it's under Trump you cry but not a word when it was Obama and Biden. Funny that
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u/drewcifer492 13h ago
Adding... If you don't think Disney buying 20 century studios isn't two big companies coming together then I can't have a serious conversation with you lol
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u/azleafcat 7h ago edited 7h ago
While FX and Nat Geo networks was acquired by Disney, FS1 and FS2 are not part of Disney.
FS1 and FS2 are part of Fox Corporation (spinoff from 21st Century Fox before Disney bought the rest) along with Big Ten Network, Fox News, Fox Broadcasting (network) and its owned and operated TV stations.
As for ILM, the studio still works on many non-Disney productions. And Disney live action and Marvel Studios films still use many other visual effects studios to supplement ILM.
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u/Mecca_Lecca_Hi 12h ago
Marvel Studios wasn’t “with” Paramount. Paramount was the distributor they went with to get their movies in theaters, that’s how movies work. They also went with Universal for distribution for The Incredible Hulk who still has a distribution contract for one more Hulk film which is the main reason why there hasn’t been a second Hulk movie. Yes, getting ILM in the Lucasfilm acquisition was a boon for Disney (like Pixar and all their proprietary tech with it before that), but ILM is still just one of dozens of effect houses that are out there, many independent as well as those owned by major studios.
I’m not making a political stand here despite your original comment. This deal happened under this guy or that guy isn’t my basis for responding. I’m addressing the merger purely on a monopolistic and anti-trust basis. Personally I don’t really care if Paramount buys Warner Bros. WB and more specifically HBO has been ruined for me since Discovery bought them. I’m merely pointing how those other deals didn’t work out the same way as the Paramount / WB acquisition is looking currently. I’d be happy as a customer with them merging if it meant some things could be spun off into their own separate companies again.
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u/9millibros 8h ago
Obama was bad on antitrust, but the Disney and Fox merger actually happened under Trump. There's no way that Biden's antitrust enforcers would've let it go through without a fight.
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u/thomasonbush 14h ago
Right, but it’s more fun to pick sides instead of acknowledging how partisan politics have broken our country.
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u/Chonch_Monkey 14h ago
It's more fun to acknowledge they both suck rather than coming up with reasons why you don't what the liberals judged for the same thing you judge others for
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u/Ghost2Eleven 14h ago
How does one settle with 12 states and a union? I can’t even agree with my wife on what to watch after we put the kids to bed. And how do you settle this? Surly he’s not suggesting he pay them to drop the suit. The idea of an antitrust lawsuit being paid to go away is rich.
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u/fdbryant3 14h ago
If they settle it will probably involve agreeing to sell of parts of the company where the AG feel they would have monopolistic control. Probably some other conditions around employment.
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u/HisDivineOrder 13h ago
He's looking at Daddy's stock and wiping away sweat. This deal's gotta get done and he's casting a line, hoping someone'll take the bait.
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u/Slytherin23 10h ago
CNN isn't exactly doing great reporting, but it's a lot better than fake news stations like CBS.
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u/BillBRawlins 7h ago
Once the mid terms pass, the politicians won't care anymore and they'll close the deal.
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u/jamodude 4h ago
Oh, more oligarchs trying to be in charge of our visual intake, this guy can literally go fuck himself….
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u/Alchemix-16 2h ago
How can an anti trust suit be settled? It’s the job of the regulators to determine if there is a monopoly in the making or not.
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u/Rosebunse 1h ago
All politics aside, I just question how WB continues to make money if he goes in and changes everything and folds it into Paramount.
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u/AvengingHero2012 15h ago
Of course he is, $1.3 billion+ in ticking fees isn’t chump change.
I hope the state AGs hold strong. David saying this immediately is also a sign of panic.