Rob Bonta ‘Vehemently and Respectfully Disagrees’ That He ‘Caved’ on Warner Bros.-Paramount Suit
TheGrill 2026: The California Attorney General says David Ellison's threat to move out of the state and calls to settle from Gavin Newsom, Karen Bass and Xavier Becerra had "no influence" on the decision The post Rob Bonta ‘Vehemently and Respectfully Disagrees’ That He ‘Caved’ on Warner Bros.-Paramount Suit appeared first on TheWrap .
California Attorney General Rob Bonta vehemently disagreed with claims that he and 11 other state AGs caved on a settlement resolving antitrust litigation against the $110 billion Paramount-Warner Bros.-Discovery merger. Bonta told TheWrap's 2026 TheGrill conference that they were focused on solving the issue of antitrust concerns in two markets impacted by the merger: the distribution of wide-release films and basic cable channel licensing.
The settlement requires Paramount-WBD to release a certain number of films yearly, with a focus on independent films and blockbusters. They must also invest in domestic TV and film production and negotiate separate distribution agreements for their cable networks. Additionally, an independent editorial board will oversee CNN and CBS News to ensure journalistic integrity.
Bonta emphasized that the decision to settle was unanimous among the states and that the actions of companies, governors, or other individuals did not influence his decision. Despite concerns from the Block the Merger coalition and Senator Corey Booker, the AGs maintain that the settlement is a reasonable compromise and urged the judge to approve it.
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