Blue States Rally to Slow Paramount-WBD Mega-Merger
California Attorney General Rob Bonta says he is coordinating with other blue-state AGs to scrutinize Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery’s roughly $110 billion merger over competition concerns, signaling rising state-level antitrust pressure as the deal moves toward closing. New York, Washington, Virginia and Pennsylvania are among the jurisdictions in play, with critics arguing the consolidation could reduce production options and raise costs. The arrangement carries large potential penalties if regulatory conditions aren’t met, and it remains under federal antitrust review as regulators weigh the deal.