US EditionWarner Bros. Discovery shareholders approve Paramount Skydance merger
The vote clears a major hurdle as the combined company would unite HBO Max, CNN and Paramount+ while still facing antitrust scrutiny.
- On Thursday, Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders voted overwhelmingly to approve the company's sale to Paramount Skydance, valuing the transaction at nearly $111 billion including debt.
- Paramount prevailed in a months-long bidding battle after offering $31 per share in cash, surpassing Netflix's rejected $72 billion proposal and prompting the board to endorse the bid.
- More than 4,000 industry figures voiced "unequivocal opposition" to the merger, citing mass layoffs and reduced creative choices; shareholders separately rejected CEO David Zaslav's non-binding compensation package.
- The deal faces ongoing antitrust reviews by the U.S. Department of Justice, European, and U.K. authorities; it includes a "ticking fee" that increases the price if not finalized by September 30.
- Critics, including Democratic Senator Cory Booker, warn of concentrated cultural power, while California Attorney General Rob Bonta investigates potential antitrust violations as the merger positions Paramount to control CNN and HBO.
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The endorsement comes as it was announced that Donald Trump will attend the dinner alongside billionaire Larry Ellis, who is behind Paramount.
Shareholders greenlight AU$156B Paramount-Warner merger
The biggest media merger since the disastrous US$165 billion AOL-Time Warner deal in 2000 just cleared its first major hurdle, but the corporate drama is only accelerating. Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders overwhelmingly approved Paramount Skydance’s AU$156 billion (US$111 billion) takeover bid during a special virtual meeting on Thursday. According to reports, investors happily took the cash but delivered a spectacular rebuke to outgoing lea…
Warner Bros Discovery vote to approve $110bn merger with Paramount Skydance
Shareholders of Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) voted “overwhelmingly” to approve the company’s $110bn merger with Paramount Skydance, the parent company of CBS News, on Thursday. But shareholders voted against generous proposed compensation packages for WBD executives, including a $550m payout to the…
Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount completed their merger for $110 billion, following the approval of Warner Bros.'s shareholders meeting on April 23, 2026. The agreement, which still requires certification and regulatory authorizations, will allow Paramount to keep key assets like HBO, DC, CNN and Discovery+. David Zaslav described the decision as a "key hit," while David Ellison, president of Paramount, celebrated the shareholders' support.T…
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