California AG Demands 'Robust Remedies' to Settle Paramount-WBD Merger Suit
California AG Rob Bonta told CNBC that resolving the states' antitrust lawsuit against the Paramount Skydance-WBD merger would require significant structural conditions.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta signaled Wednesday that any negotiated settlement of the multistate antitrust lawsuit targeting the Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery merger would demand far-reaching concessions, telling CNBC's David Faber the deal could only move forward with "robust structural remedies" in place.
Bonta's remarks represent the clearest public statement yet from state enforcers about what it would take to resolve the legal challenge without a full courtroom battle. The phrase "structural remedies" typically signals regulators are seeking concrete changes to a deal's architecture — such as divestitures or operational restrictions — rather than mere behavioral pledges that are harder to enforce.
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The attorney general's appearance on CNBC underscores how state-level antitrust enforcers have emerged as a meaningful check on major media consolidation, even as federal oversight of the entertainment industry remains in flux. California, as the home state of the Hollywood studios involved, carries particular weight in any regulatory negotiation over a deal of this scale.
The merger landscape in media has grown increasingly complex, with Paramount's Skydance deal and a potential Warner Bros. Discovery combination together representing a dramatic reshaping of legacy entertainment assets. State attorneys general stepping into these transactions adds another layer of scrutiny that dealmakers must now factor into their timelines and concession calculus.
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