Los Angeles Mayor Urges Quick Settlement in Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery Merger Dispute

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said Thursday that the parties involved in the proposed Paramount-Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery merger should reach a settlement quickly to avoid prolonged uncertainty for workers and productions. She addressed a press conference urging Paramount, the state attorney general and other stakeholders to engage in good-faith talks, noting that many productions are stalled and thousands of union members risk losing income.

Bass emphasized that any agreement must contain “meaningful and enforceable commitments” to keep the combined company’s operations, jobs and investments in California. Her comments followed a report by the city’s Department of Economic Opportunity and CVL Economics estimating that the deal could jeopardize thousands of corporate, creative and production jobs, with potential lost wages of $1.26 billion and broader economic loss of $2.78 billion.

The statement drew criticism from the Writers Guild of America West, which accused the mayor of aligning with corporate interests and urged her to uphold the law and protect workers. Other industry groups, including Cinema United, the Directors Guild of America and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, have also called for a swift settlement to reduce industry uncertainty ahead of a March trial date.