SAG-AFTRA Announces Formal Opposition to Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger

The national board of SAG-AFTRA adopted a resolution on Saturday to formally oppose the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, joining other entertainment unions in demanding regulatory safeguards. The union said it will support the action of 12 state attorneys who have sued to block the $111 billion transaction and will back any measures that guarantee a minimum share of film and television production in the United States.

"Our members have every right to expect that the government will do thorough regulatory oversight when a deal of this magnitude takes place," SAG-AFTRA president Sean Astin said in a statement. "The workers in this industry should not have to rely on promises and aspirational statements. These companies have the ability to commit to making more films and shows in this country and they should. This isn’t a conversation about shareholder value, it’s about the survival of the entertainment business in America."

National executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland added that the consolidation must not proceed without binding assurances that production will not be reduced or outsourced, and that any such trends would be reversed. He said a handshake or a smile is insufficient and cited past experience as evidence that the merger may not benefit competition, creators, or consumers.

Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison has previously pledged that the combined studios would release at least 30 movies annually, a claim that merger opponents have questioned.

The Writers Guild of America and the Teamsters have also publicly opposed the deal, with the former filing a lawsuit on July 14 and the latter urging the Department of Justice to block the transaction unless worker protections are included.