EU Antitrust Regulator Expected to Approve Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery Merger
The European Commission is likely to clear Paramount's $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, pending possible concessions, before the July 7 deadline.
The European Commission is expected to give the green light to Paramount Global's $110 billion purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery, according to a report in the Financial Times. The regulator has until July 7 to decide and is anticipated to approve the deal rather than launch a deeper antitrust investigation. Paramount and Warner representatives met with EU officials on Tuesday as part of the review process.
"The Commission will clear the takeover rather than subject it to deeper investigation," the Financial Times reported.
Regulators may require Paramount to make concessions to address competition concerns, potentially including the termination of its international distribution agreement with Universal Pictures. Bloomberg earlier reported that Paramount is prepared to divest certain children’s television network assets to satisfy EU requirements. A European Commission spokesperson declined to comment, and Deadline did not receive a response from Paramount.
The EU review proceeds separately from a parallel inquiry in the United Kingdom, where the Competition and Markets Authority has opened a formal merger investigation.