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Paramount is Ready to Leave California, Sources Say

The studio has informed Los Angeles and California officials it may relocate headquarters as a $7 million daily fee looms, officials said.

  • Paramount Skydance is considering moving operations from Los Angeles to Nashville, exploring roughly 400,000 square feet of commercial space as CEO David Ellison actively solicits relocation bids ahead of an October 1 deadline.
  • The real estate search coincides with a 12-state antitrust lawsuit led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta to block the studio's $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, with Ellison threatening relocation if unresolved.
  • Texas has aggressively courted the studio via the Texas Media Production Alliance coordinating a pitch strategy, while Ellison maintains deep personal ties to Tennessee where he lived for 11 years.
  • Leaving the historic Melrose Avenue lot would deal a massive economic blow to Southern California, which lost over 42,000 entertainment jobs between 2022 and 2024; Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass vowed to fight for local jobs.
  • Critics dismissed the relocation threat as a ploy to manufacture leverage in merger negotiations, while over $2.7 billion in economic value remains at stake with settlement discussions expected next month.
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Paramount Threatens California Exit As A$156 Billion Warner Bros Merger Fight Escalates – channelnews

Paramount is considering leaving California as its legal battle over the proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery intensifies, potentially ending more than a century of the studio operating from Hollywood. Sources close to the company have told US media that Paramount is serious about relocating, with the threat emerging as California Attorney-General Rob Bonta and attorneys-general from 11 other states pursue an antitrust case seeking to stop the proposed merger. The transaction has been reported at around US$111 billion, equivalent to roughly A$156 billion at current exchange rates. California’s Department of Justice says the proposed combination would bring together two of Hollywood’s five major film distributors and two of the five largest owners of basic cable channels. Bonta’s office argues the deal would reduce competition and potentially result in higher prices, fewer productions and lower content quality. Paramount and Warner Bros. dispute the case and are continuing to pursue the transaction. Paramount currently operates from its historic Melrose Avenue studio lot and is the last major Hollywood studio still headquartered in the area. Reports suggest the company recently came close to announcing a departure from California before returning to negotiations. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has said her administration is focused on protecting entertainment industry jobs and keeping Hollywood production in the city. Bonta’s office has not confirmed whether settlement negotiations are under way, but has said it remains open to good-faith discussions while maintaining that Paramount is responsible for any decision to relocate. The stakes extend well beyond Paramount’s studio lot. A report cited by the New York Post estimated that a departure could affect as many as 58,000 jobs, remove around US$21 billion, or approximately A$29.5 billion, in annual economic activity and reduce California tax revenue by as much as US$1.17 billion, or around A$1.64 billion, each year. The merger itself is already on hold. Bonta secured an agreement in July preventing Paramount and Warner Bros. from completing the transaction until June 1, 2027, or until a court decision is reached, whichever occurs first. A trial is currently scheduled for March 2027. The immediate threat of Paramount leaving California appears to have eased for now, with the company and state officials continuing negotiations. However, the unresolved antitrust case means the future of Paramount’s Hollywood headquarters remains tied to the outcome of the merger dispute.

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mediagazer.com broke the news on Sunday, September 13, 2026.
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