Paramount Demands $1.8B From AGs For Costs Of Antitrust Suit Over WBD Merger

Key Points:

• Paramount has filed a motion seeking a $1.88 billion bond from plaintiffs in the antitrust lawsuit blocking its $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, aiming to cover $7 million daily "ticking fees" and other costs incurred due to delays.
• The bond request highlights that by the trial's March 2027 start, Paramount could have paid $1.3 billion in unrecoverable fees, with further delays risking loss of regulatory approvals and additional expenses.
• Paramount argues that federal law mandates plaintiffs post such bonds to secure potential damages caused by litigation delays, countering claims that these fees are "self-imposed" and emphasizing harm to employees and lost business synergies.
• The lawsuit, led by California and other state attorneys general alongside the Writers Guild of America, is the sole remaining obstacle after regulatory approvals in 68 jurisdictions worldwide, with Paramount confident the merger will ultimately be allowed.
• Paramount’s public communications stress the merger’s benefits for consumers, creators, and workers, while criticizing the state AGs for blocking a transaction supported by global competition authorities and warning of ongoing financial and operational harm due to the stalled deal.