MAD Applauds Lawsuit to Block Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger

We’ve been asking you – our community of citizens concerned about media and democracy – to contact your state attorneys general and urge them to oppose the takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. by Paramount-Skydance Corporation and the MAGA-aligned Ellison family. Great news – 12 states have now filed a lawsuit to block that merger.

The lawsuit mainly focuses on monopolistic harms to the entertainment industry including, as California Attorney General Rob Bonta said, “higher prices, lower quality, and less content for film and television, harming movie theaters, basic cable distributors, and ultimately, audiences on every sofa and movie theater seat in the U.S.”

Bonta also said: “Consolidation here not only leads to higher prices — it also leads to fewer opportunities for important stories to come to life, and fewer ways for audiences to encounter stories, ideas, and perspectives beyond their own experiences.”

In addition to the entertainment aspects, this merger would also bring the journalism of CNN under the control of MAGA-aligned Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison. In 2025, CBS News came under Ellison’s fold, and we have already seen negative impacts – including dismantling of the venerable “60-Minutes”, firing respected journalists and embedding partisan emissary Bari Weiss in charge of implementing the Ellison’s agenda.

President Trump has publicly talked about his friendship with the Ellisons saying, “I think CNN should be sold because the people that are running CNN right now are either corrupt or incompetent.” In a Pentagon press briefing this year, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated: “The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better.” In June, Trump’s Department of Justice green-lit the deal and his FCC Commissioner, Brendan Carr, said “I think (the deal) should get through pretty quickly.” Bonta made clear he believed that the Trump Department of Justice “absolutely dropped the ball” by fast-tracking the deal.

“The Media and Democracy Project applauds these courageous attorneys general for standing up to the Ellisons but, even more so, for standing up to the Trump Administration which has been brazenly pushing the takeover in order to have better control over the nation’s information ecosystem, decrease diversity of media voices and subvert First Amendment freedoms.” said MAD Executive Director Milo Vassallo.

In addition to CA AG Rob Bonta, the following attorneys general are a part of the legal actions: Kris Mayes (AZ), Phil Weiser (CO), William Tong (CT), Andrea Campbell (MA), Keith Ellison (MN and no relation to David and Larry), Aaron Ford (NV), Matthew Platkin (NJ), Raúl Torrez (NM), Letitia James (NY), Dan Rayfield (OR), and Nick Brown (WA). The attorneys general have followed up their lawsuit by calling for a Temporary Restraining Order to prevent the Ellison's from trying to complete the merger during litigation.

“These lawsuits are good news, but they are progress not a victory,” said Vassallo. “We must keep up the pressure and continue to support those working to protect the press freedoms and prevent further media consolidation.”

Watch AG Bonta’s momentous press conference here.

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