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Paramount–Warner Bros $110B Merger Faces UK Intervention Over Media Plurality
UK may launch public interest review by July 6, adding to EU and US antitrust hurdles for the $110B Paramount–Warner Bros deal uniting CNN, HBO, Paramount+, Max and Channel 5.
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Britain's culture secretary has given Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery until July 6 to answer media-plurality concerns over their proposed $110 billion merger, and the UK’s move revives the same regulatory headache Microsoft endured during its Activision Blizzard review. The deal would bring CNN, HBO, Paramount+, Max and Channel 5 under one roof, turning a commercial consolidation into a political and public-interest question. For investors, it is a stark reminder that cross-border media and tech deals can be decided by politicians and regulators miles from the negotiating table.