DoJ Approves Paramount Skydance-Warner Bros. Deal, Solidifying Ellison Family's Media Control

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday it has cleared Paramount Skydance to proceed with its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, marking a seismic shift in the American media landscape. The deal further consolidates the industry and dramatically expands the influence of the Ellison family.

In its approval announcement, the DoJ dismissed arguments against the merger, rejecting comparisons to Disney's earlier acquisition of Fox due to the COVID-19 pandemic's interference. It also brushed aside labor concerns voiced by industry workers.

On June 9, it was reported that the United Kingdom is conducting its own investigation into the deal, which may have accelerated the DoJ's timeline. With the acquisition, Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison will run Warner Bros. Studios, HBO, and HBO Max. The deal also includes CNN Worldwide—a major broadcaster for the Olympics and NHL—as well as Warner Bros. Games. The company already owned Paramount and its TV subsidiaries such as CBS, MTV, BET, and Nickelodeon.

David Ellison's father, billionaire Larry Ellison of Oracle, is providing $45.7 billion in equity to back the deal. Oracle recently joined a consortium to acquire a 45% stake in TikTok's U.S. operations. Together, the father-son duo now control a media portfolio rivaling Disney's.

The DoJ approval follows multiple scandals at CBS News, sparking fears about CNN's future. Larry Ellison is a personal friend of President Donald Trump, who has called CNN's leadership "corrupt and incompetent." Under the Ellisons' control, Bari Weiss was installed as head of CBS News and quickly overhauled the organization. Weiss fired 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley, who claimed the show is being "murdered" by her. A 60 Minutes report on ICE facilities was scrapped in December, and correspondent Cecilia Vega was fired in May while working on a report about UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese. CBS also canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert after a segment criticizing a $16 million settlement paid to Trump by CBS.

In May, over 5,500 film and TV professionals—including Glenn Close, Jane Fonda, and Joaquin Phoenix—signed an open letter warning the merger threatens the creative community. Despite DoJ approval, state attorneys general in California and New York plan to challenge the deal, alongside investigations by European officials and the UK. Paramount Skydance must close the deal by September 30 or pay a daily ticking fee of $7 million to Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders.