UK CMA clears Paramount-Warner Bros £85bn merger

Published Aug 6, 12:42 PM UTC

The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has cleared the £85bn merger of Hollywood studios Paramount and Warner Bros, concluding it does not pose a threat to competition in the UK. The watchdog opened its inquiry on June 9, prompted by Warner Bros' UK revenues exceeding £100m. Paramount, backed by billionaire Larry Ellison and his son David Ellison, won a bidding war against Netflix in February. The CMA found that while the merger makes the combined entity the UK's largest theatrical film distributor, it will still face strong competition from Sony, Universal, Disney, and independent providers. Concerns about the merged children's TV channels and streaming platforms (Paramount+, HBO Max, Discovery+) were dismissed due to declining demand for paid children's TV and a crowded streaming market with Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney Plus. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy had requested the probe to protect media diversity. The decision avoids a phase two investigation.