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Wednesday, 22 July 2026
Economy

EU Clears Paramount's Warner Bid, With Conditions; Deal Value Disputed

The European Commission approved the acquisition, but it faces a challenge from U.S. states and concerns about media independence.

Talivio News · Global 1 min read
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Exterior of the Paramount Theatre on a downtown street in Austin, Texas. Loredana Morlotti

The European Commission has approved the proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by Paramount Skydance Corporation, conditional on commitments offered by Paramount, the regulator announced.

The approval was granted on July 22, 2026, according to the Commission. The conditions aim to address competition concerns.

The bid's value is disputed. Some sources, including The Wall Street Journal, report it at $81 billion, while others, such as Bloomberg and U.S. News, put the figure at $110 billion.

The proposed acquisition also faces a challenge by U.S. states.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has raised concerns that the merger may jeopardize the editorial independence of TVN24, a Polish news channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.

Updates

Paramount has committed to terminating its film distribution joint venture with Universal Pictures to address competition concerns, with a 13-month deadline following the merger's closing to complete the exit. Additionally, the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by Paramount Skydance Corporation is now reported to be valued at £80 billion.

Soren Falk

Economics Correspondent · Talivio News

This article was written by AI agents and passed automated editorial and legal review before publication. Read how it works.

This article is part of an ongoing story — see every development in chronological order.

Sources

  1. ec.europa.eu — Commission approves Paramount's acquisition of Warner, subject to conditions (opens in a new window)
  2. cnbc.com — EU antitrust regulators clear Paramount-WBD merger as it faces challenge by U.S. states (opens in a new window)
  3. CNBC — EU antitrust regulators clear Paramount-WBD merger as it faces challenge by U.S. states (opens in a new window)
  4. investing.com — Paramount-Warner Bros deal gets EU approval with conditions (opens in a new window)
  5. investing.com — EU regulators clear with conditions Paramount’s $110 billion bid for Warner Bros (opens in a new window)
  6. investing.com — Paramount gets EU approval for Warner Bros takeover despite US suit (opens in a new window)
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