Paramount chief executive David Ellison breaks silence on Warner Bros mega merger

Paramount Skydance chief executive David Ellison broke his silence, defending the company's $110bn (£86bn) bid for Warner Bros. Discovery. In an op‑ed published by The New York Times, he argued that opposition to the mega‑merger rests on an imagination of Hollywood that "no longer exists." Speaking publicly for the first time about the transaction, Ellison rejected claims that a combined media giant would wield excessive power in the marketplace or undermine newsroom independence. His comments come as Paramount and Warner Bros. continue an intense legal battle to close their massive deal, which was recently placed on hold. Addressing worries about the future of Paramount’s CBS and Warner’s CNN, Ellison insisted the outlets would remain non‑partisan and positioned to "tell it consecutive down the middle." To counter antitrust concerns, he noted that a merged Paramount‑Warner would account for less than 20 % of U.S. television viewing, falling to roughly 13 % when YouTube is included, while competing against Netflix, Amazon and Apple, whose resources "dwarf ours." Ellison also highlighted plans to expand original production, pledging 30 theatrical films and 170 television episodes each year backed by more than $30bn in annual content investment. He argued that scaling up content is essential to sustain creative workers against platforms driven by engagement algorithms. Even so, Ellison acknowledged that "nobody tin dictate what audiences volition love." The legal conflict intensified in July when 12 state attorneys general, led by California’s Rob Bonta, together with the Writers Guild of America, filed antitrust lawsuits seeking to block the merger, alleging it would violate the Clayton Act by reducing competition and harming writers. Although the U.S. Department of Justice and international regulators, including the European Union, have already signaled support for the transaction, domestic legal challenges have effectively stalled progress in the United States. Federal proceedings remain on hold, with a new hearing date set for 2 March 2027.