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Paramount settles states’ challenge to Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition
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Court approval remains pending as five-year commitments resolve states’ claims
Paramount reached a settlement with 12 state attorneys general over its planned combination with Warner Bros. Discovery, resolving the states’ antitrust claims if a court approves the agreement. The five-year terms require at least 30 annual film releases initially, $1.5 billion in additional US production spending, a $47.5 million workforce fund, separate negotiations for the companies’ basic-cable channels and independent oversight for CNN and CBS editorial independence. An independent monitor would oversee compliance, with specified penalties or divestitures for some violations. The announcement does not mean the transaction has closed.
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