WGA Sues to Block Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery Merger
The Writers Guild of America East and West have filed an antitrust lawsuit against the Paramount Skydance takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, arguing that the deal harms writers and reduces competition.
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) East and West have jointly filed an antitrust lawsuit to block Paramount Skydance's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The writers' union claims that the deal violates U.S. antitrust laws and will cause specific harm to writers, including lower wages and fewer job opportunities.
The lawsuit argues that the combined Paramount-Warner Bros. entity would have both the incentive and ability to cut costs by suppressing writers' pay and reducing output. It also warns that reduced competition could lead remaining studios to focus on low-risk projects instead of investing in original concepts and creative voices. The complaint cites the 2022 Warner Bros.-Discovery merger and the 2025 Paramount-Skydance deal as examples where such acquisitions often resulted in layoffs and cost-cutting.
Just yesterday, 12 state attorneys general filed a separate antitrust case to prevent the merger. Paramount had secured approval for the $110 billion deal in June after several months of intense negotiations, during which it fended off an initial bid from Netflix to acquire a portion of Warner Bros. Discovery's business.
