Paramount, States/WGA Reportedly Reach Deal on Warner Bros Lawsuit

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Posted in: HBO, Max, Movies, Paramount+, TV | Tagged: paramount, warner bros discovery

Paramount, States/WGA Reach Settlement on Warner Bros Lawsuit: Report

Bloomberg: Paramount Skydance has reached a settlement deal in the states' antitrust lawsuit seeking to block the Warner Bros Discovery deal.

Published Mon, 21 Sep 2026 10:12:10 -0500
by Ray Flook
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Article Summary

  • Bloomberg reports Paramount Skydance has reached a settlement in the states’ antitrust lawsuit over Warner Bros. Discovery.
  • California AG Rob Bonta, other states, Paramount Skydance, and the WGA had been set for October settlement talks.
  • Key reported concessions include CBS and CNN editorial boards, film output penalties, and a possible Miramax sale.
  • Paramount aims to lock the deal before October 1 and avoid a costly ticking fee as a March 2027 court date loomed.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta (speaking for Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Washington), David Ellison's Paramount Skydance, and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) were set to meet on October 14th and 15th to discuss a possible settlement of the antitrust lawsuit facing Paramount Skydance's efforts to finalize its takeover of David Zaslav's Warner Bros. Discovery. With the deadline approaching before a very pricey "ticking fee" kicks in for Paramount Skydance at the end of the month, ahead of a March 2027 court date, and with other legal matters in play, Bloomberg reports that a settlement has been reached. Though representatives from a number of parties involved would not respond to Bloomberg's reporting, those who spoke to the business news site noted that an official announcement could come Monday afternoon.

Image: Paramount Skydance Screencap; Warner Bros Discovery Screencap

While there were reports over the weekend that possibly four states were holding out for more structural changes to the deal, some of the reported changes include independent editorial boards for CBS and CNN, and Paramount Skydance paying a penalty (possibly $30 million per film) for failing to keep its promise of 30 films annually, and possibly forced to sell off its stake in Miramax. If everything is approved, the agreement is expected to be finalized before October 1st, when Paramount Skydance would be required to pay Warner Bros Discovery shareholders a "ticking fee" for not having the deal done by the end of September. In terms of the states that held out for additional concessions, Bloomberg reports that Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Minnesota "ultimately concluded the expense of the legal battle was not justifiable without California at the helm." Reportedly, an official announcement and additional details will go live later today – but for now, it's important to remember that this is reporting by Bloomberg from sources.

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