A coalition of 12 Democratic attorneys general just forced Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery to delay their $110 billion merger until at least June 2027 — potentially killing a deal that would bring CBS News and CNN under one roof with conservative-friendly ownership.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta is leading the charge. His lawsuit claims the merger would “extinguish competition” in media and entertainment.
The companies agreed to the delay rather than fight a preliminary injunction. That gives Bonta and his allies time to make their case in court.
If the merger goes through, it would unite Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, Paramount+, HBO Max, CBS News, and CNN under a single corporate umbrella.
“Today’s agreement is great news for audiences, movie theaters, and the many people who write, build, and create the art, news, and entertainment so many of us enjoy.”
That’s what Bonta said after announcing the delay agreement. He called it “a major victory” and vowed to ensure “this unlawful merger never sees the light of day.”
New York AG Letitia James piled on, calling the delay “a critical victory in our efforts to uphold the law and protect the film and television industries.”
Paramount pushed back. A company spokesperson told NBC News the delay is “the fastest and clearest way to prove that this transaction is good for competition, good for consumers, and good for creators.”
The spokesperson added that dozens of competition authorities around the world have already blessed the deal.
Here’s why this matters to conservatives.
Paramount is now controlled by David Ellison, founder and CEO of Skydance. His father is Oracle founder Larry Ellison — a longtime ally and financial supporter of President Donald Trump.
Since Skydance took over Paramount earlier this year, David Ellison has made major changes at CBS News. He brought in journalist Bari Weiss to overhaul the network’s news division.
President Trump has publicly praised the move, saying new ownership could restore credibility to CBS News after years of bias accusations from Republicans.
If the merger closes, one company will control both CBS and CNN — under ownership conservatives believe is finally moving in a different editorial direction.
That’s the real reason Democrat AGs are fighting it. They’re not worried about competition. They’re worried about losing control of the narrative.
Today’s agreement is great news for audiences, movie theaters, and the many people who write, build, and create the art, news, and entertainment so many of us enjoy.
We are eager to continue to make our case in court and celebrate another tremendous win in our effort to ensure… pic.twitter.com/m4LFxiA5tP
— Rob Bonta (@AGRobBonta) July 24, 2026
Paramount says it will prove its case at trial. The companies have until June 2027 — or whenever a judge rules — before they can close the deal.
For now, the Democrat-led coalition has bought itself time to kill a merger that threatens their grip on legacy media.
We just won a months-long halt to the illegal merger between @ParamountPics and @warnerbros.
Stopping this merger while our case proceeds is a critical victory in our efforts to uphold the law and protect the film and television industries.— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) July 24, 2026
