Writers Guild sues to block Paramount Warner Bros merger

tvJul 15, 2026496,884

The Writers Guild of America East and West filed an antitrust lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California seeking to block Paramount Skydance’s planned $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, arguing the merger would violate federal antitrust law and substantially harm writers. The complaint says the combined company would reduce opportunities, depress wages, and worsen working conditions by eliminating a major competitor and enabling tacit coordination among the remaining buyers of writing services. The WGA frames its case around three markets for writing services: anticipated top grossing films, episodic television and streaming series, and overall dealmaking for writers. The guild warned the merged firm would be the largest buyer of original film and television programming in the United States, giving it the incentive and ability to lower costs by suppressing writers’ pay and output. The filing follows a separate lawsuit filed the previous day by California and eleven other states that also seeks to block the takeover. California Attorney General Rob Bonta argued the merger, which the complaint notes was approved by the U.S. Department of Justice, would raise consumer prices and reduce entertainment content and would place one company in charge of nearly one third of theatrical motion picture and basic cable programming. Paramount’s lead counsel Jeff Kessler publicly said the $110 billion merger remains on track for a September 2026 close, defending the deal timeline amid the state antitrust challenge.

DiscussingFilm

@discussingfilm.net

The Writers Guild of America has now filed a lawsuit to block the Paramount & Warner Bros merger. “With fewer competitors, a merged Paramount/WB entity would have both the incentive & ability to lower costs by suppressing writers’ wages & reducing output.”

270845d ago

Ben Williams31

Cool. Now the actors. The only way to get general audiences to care.

judyhampden.bsky.social11

And Paramount most likely to support irresponsible use of AI.

Cinnabnnuy (insert info here)5

THE FIGHT AIN'T OVER BOIS

superdave2687.bsky.social1

The right is trying to take over Hollywood and dictate a narrative of what the public sees. Meaning more horrible movies like Reagan and Young Washington. Just wait, if this goes through, the next Batman movie will have him rounding up an evil cabal of Democrats and refugees.

AineMcCaul ✍🏼1

It's about time Hollywood California decamped to Holywood County Down. Tax breaks, unions, better labour laws, universal healthcare, more privacy, virgin territory for building new studio space, highly educated (cheap) workforce, lack of interference from a wannabe dictator 🤷🏼‍♀️

mogigo.bsky.social1

Do Americans understand that it's way too late for any of this? 10 guys own everything. It's over, unless those 10 guys actually want to try and change things. That or rebellion, like we've had to do every single time for 2000 freakin years.

Quoting this

〽️ax krieger asks: who's going to PAX WEST?36

keep doing this in hopes we run out the clock on this admin and get a new SEC head in

Carl of Rivia 🐲27

I love seeing this! With yesterday's news about 12 states suing to block this shit, there seems to be hope after all!

The-Autistic-Artist 🥥 🍀 🏳️‍🌈 Doomsday and Coyote vs. Acme Era24

Oh, yeah! I love me some good news! Let's keep it going, people!

Zak Wolf/ Sam Valentino (Wile E. 🔜 FAN EXPO Boston - SAT only!)13

The WGA said they'd do something about it, and now they are!

Fyre12

Hey look, it's like the studio execs learned nothing from the collapse of the studio system in the late 40s and now get to experience it again first-hand :)

Mevans 🎮 Donkey Kong Bananza10

Maybe we’re not doomed after all.

Nancy Esperanza7

Go, @wgawest.bsky.social @wgaeast.bsky.social! This is the value of unions, associations and guilds. Join when you can

Liam Dalley7

It’s literally this meme and it is glorious @mvbrat10.bsky.social @nerdobaggins.bsky.social @ryanjrobotham.bsky.social @bvlikeslinguica.bsky.social @gonzaegonza91.bsky.social @scalawagjack.bsky.social @thanosprime.bsky.social

Rockwell McCloud4

Would have been nice if they bothered to do this when Disney bought Fox and Amazon bought MGM.

TFanberry4

Good... Let David suffer from his actions.

More Perfect Union

@moreperfectunion.bsky.social

BREAKING: The Writers Guild of America has filed a lawsuit to block the Warner Bros-Paramount merger. This comes shortly after 12 states filed to block this $81 billion merger as well.

167645d ago

More Perfect Union270

“With fewer competitors, the merged Paramount-Warner Bros. entity would have both the incentive and the ability to lower costs by suppressing writers’ wages and reducing output. Writers will be paid less and have fewer employment opportunities,” states the WGA complaint.

Quoting this

Ori-Warui -Wishlist KNUCKLE JET107

Finally a good use for writer's block

DocGaby24

WGA reicht Klage ein, um die Fusion von Paramount und Warner Bros. zu verhindern: „Dies würde den Wettbewerb ausschalten“... Neben den Klagen der WGA und eines Dutzends demokratischer Generalstaatsanwälte könnte die Fusion auch vom Vereinigten Königreich angefochten werden

Workers’ Lit Podcast8

Killing this merger is a moral and epistemic imperative

Meme Space Nine4

Corporate Trekkies and #StarTrek actors appearing at the Cruise and other official events/productions: "Actually, I want to be on the bad guy's side."

Joyce White Vance

@joycewhitevance.bsky.social

Does anyone really understand antitrust cases? California AG Rob Bonta & I discuss his newest one, and I added in some basic explainer information so you can stay on top of what’s going on with the proposed $110 billion merger. open.substack.com/pub/joycevan...

56945d ago

radicalcrone.bsky.social2

We are lucky to have Rob Bonta as our AG in CA.

pegofnevada.bsky.social1

Some remember the “Baby Bell” break-up when AT&T was a telecommunications monopoly. There would be no competition among multiple cell phone carriers today if that hadn’t happened.

ToonHive

@toonhive.bsky.social

Paramount shareholders has filed a lawsuit against David and Larry Ellison seeking to block the proposed $111B Warner Bros. merger, alleging they struck an illegal side deal with President Trump to secure regulatory approval. This marks the FOURTH lawsuit challenging the merger. (via @thr.com)

43244d ago

Brendan27

And being a shareholder suit, this is Delaware Chancery court, so a whole different ballgame from the AG/WGA suits. Not necessarily saying it has a better or worse chance, but it's a meaningfully different allegation that'll stretch their resources further

Taylor Ledbetter15

It’s refreshing whenever shareholders use their disproportional power over companies for good.

Abraham2204 #FuckParamountSkydance4

HAHAHAHA!!!! TAKE THAT, DAVID AND LARRY ELLISON!!!! You know you have REALLY fucked up this time when even the shareholders at Paramount are now turning AGAINST you and your stupid ideas! Get fucked!!! 🤣🤣

Shikune4

even the fucking SHAREHOLDERS don't want this to happen

Bryan Seitz3

THIS... IS MY SHOCKED FACE

SpongicX2

Give up Paramount, you Trump sucking losers!...

Quoting this

Lorcan the Hedgehog71

Feel like Netflix is watching from afar like:

🩸💀 The Horror Guru 💀🩸32

This legal challenge is coming from within Paramount itself, which is interesting.

Ben! #BlockTheMerger27

You know you fucked up when even your own shareholders are telling you to knock it off

Canadian Tokusatsu Donald25

Hostile Removal of Davey Boy. Just as I expected.

The-Autistic-Artist 🥥 🍀 🏳️‍🌈 Doomsday and Coyote vs. Acme Era24

Wow, even the shareholders at Paramount have had it?! Hot damn, it just keeps getting better! Should this lawsuit succeed, can the Ellisons be fired and replaced with someone who is actually competent and mature (and you know, isn't chummy with bigots, criminals, and sex pests)? #BlocktheMerger

Andy Mayer22

If this lawsuit succeeds, let's fire the Ellisons and replace them with someone who isn't a spoiled nepo-baby manchild.

Mao Mao!15

God even Paramount's investors don't want this.

Trevor12

yeah buddy, fuck 'em up, y'all

NationOfOranges69612

You know you're really screwed when even your own shareholders are suing you

Relevant Ferret If Known11

Wait, they're suing to stop themselves???

Susan Rinkunas

@susanrinkunas.com

“Antitrust laws were designed to stop mergers that may substantially lessen competition before they happen.” That’s why WGAE and WGAW are suing Paramount and Warner Brothers. LFG

18345d ago

Quoting this

sie ✨11

we're suing :) unions exist to protect & fight for their members. our industries simply cannot have so many jobs under so few companies. this merger will lead to job loss across film, tv & journalism. we have a duty to fight this! so we are.

Writers Guild of America East

@wgaeast.bsky.social

The Writers Guild of America will not stand idly by as Paramount attempts to violate our country's antitrust laws and deepen the contraction entertainment workers already feel. #BlockTheMerger

WGA FILES LAWSUIT TO BLOCK PARAMOUNT-WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY MERGER

17045d ago

Catherine Rampell

@crampell.bsky.social

"The guild estimated that the new entity would control about 35% of writing jobs for those working on top-grossing films and 36% of television projects."

17145d ago

patrick-bartoch.bsky.social1

Guild willfully behind. They should’ve been out in front of this months ago.

FinTwitter

@fintwitter.bsky.social

WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA SUES TO BLOCK PARAMOUNT ACQUISITION OF WARNER BROS DISCOVERY -- COURT FILING

21645d ago

Quoting this

Alasdair Stuart42

A thousand armchair quarterbacks are about to explain why this won’t work. Everyone who ever punched the air on ‘the word, is no. I am therefore going anyway.’ knows whether or not it works doesn’t matter. Doing it does.

demon core vidal42

let’s goooooo. also i have been saying for years that there is a class action coming for the streaming wars, but i didn’t actually think it would come from the monopoly angle. either way works tbh. you can’t cut up the market and own each individual piece.

Jill Weinberger33

FUCK YEAH, THAT'S MY UNION.

Gregory Ellwood13

this is incredible, I cannot in my lifetime remember a union taking this action this is beyond brave

egg16z 🥚5

if the lawsuits can prevent this from closing before the midterms the Dems might have a shot to kill this procedurally in Congress with endless investigations they don’t really have a mechanism to block it per se but they probably can drag it on long enough for the financing to fall apart

Mike Walker

@newnarrative.bsky.social

Trump’s FCC Head Accused of Receiving Thousands in Paramount Gifts as Major Merger Awaits Proposal www.mediaite.com/media/tv/tru...

6344d ago

Reuters Legal

@legal.reuters.com

JUST IN: Writers Guild sues to block Paramount deal saying it would hurt writers reut.rs/3QXFVhw

7745d ago

Karl Bode

@karlbode.com

I'm assuming this is where all the Republicans who spent last election season pretending they suddenly cared about antitrust will step in to help protect labor, markets, and consumers from obvious merger harms

6844d ago

Toronto Star

@thestar.com

The Writers Guild of America became the latest group to challenge Paramount’s $81 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, filing a lawsuit that seeks to block the merger on the grounds it would cause “specific harm” to movie and TV writers working across the U.S.

4645d ago

Stardust 🌏🎬

@stardustbluepr.com

The day after 12 state attorneys general sued to block the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, the Writers Guild of America has filed its own lawsuit to impede the $111 billion mega-deal.

4145d ago

Sasquatch

@nerdysasquatch.bsky.social

You know that this merger is bad when the call is coming from inside the house. And yeah, I wouldn't be surprised at all if something illegal happened. The entire Paramount-Warner Bros merger reeks of corruption and sleaze.

2844d ago

Tyler King

@tyleraking.com

“The Writers Guild of America has filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. Discovery and CEO David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance in an attempt to block their impending merger, saying it would violate antitrust law and noting major concerns for the guild’s members.” Get his ass.

4345d ago

3 sources

independent.co.ukWriters Guild sues to block Paramount-Warner Bros merger open.substack.comThe Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Challenge prospect.orgChallenge to Paramount–Warner Bros. Merger Focuses on Theaters, Basic Cable - The American Prospect

Beyond The Gates episode features Deanna confronting Joeytv Writers Guild sues to block Paramount Warner Bros mergertv

Writers Guild sues to block Paramount Warner Bros merger

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