Paramount subscribers petition Supreme Court to halt $110 B merger with Warner Bros. Discovery

An emergency filing by Paramount subscribers was submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court, urging Justice Elena Kagan to issue an order preventing the $110 billion Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger from closing on Tuesday. The plaintiffs argue the acquisition would substantially reduce competition in streaming, news and theatrical markets, violating antitrust law, and contend that District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin improperly rejected their request for a temporary restraining order.

The filing also asserts that the settlement with states and the Writers Guild of America fails to preserve competition between the two studios. If granted, the Court could require divestiture of assets such as BET, VH1 and Comedy Central, while core properties like one outlet would remain untouched. Meanwhile, David Ellison announced the leadership structure for the merged entity, naming himself chairman and CEO, Ynon Keiz as co-CEO, and appointing Casey Bloys, Josh Greenstein, Dana Goldberg and Mark Thompson to oversee streaming, film studios and one outlet. The outcome could dramatically reshape Hollywood's competitive landscape.