Paramount’s furious statement against California, Netflix in escalating WBD war

Paramount has vowed to fight California’s lawsuit seeking to block its proposed $110-billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, arguing the deal would actually boost competition.

“The lawsuit filed by the state attorneys general, in the most generous light, reflects a fundamentally flawed application of the antitrust laws and is wrong on both the facts and the law.

“We will vigorously defend the transaction and demonstrate that this challenge is inconsistent with sound competition policy and the competitive realities of the media marketplace,” a spokesman said.

The company argued delaying the merger would hurt entertainment workers who have already endured years of disruption as streaming and technology companies have reshaped the industry, costing California thousands of jobs.

Paramount maintained the combined company would be better equipped to compete against dominant streaming platforms such as Netflix by investing more heavily in premium programming, theatrical releases and creative talent.

They also accused the attorneys general of protecting the industry’s largest streaming rivals rather than consumers, saying the lawsuit would ultimately benefit major technology companies while preventing a stronger competitor from emerging.

“We will continue to fight against any attempt to derail a deal that strengthens competition, expands opportunity, and positions the combined company to compete in an increasingly competitive global media landscape, ” the spokesperson said.

Regulators in 24 jurisdictions have already cleared or allowed the transaction to proceed after reviewing its competitive impacts, according to Paramount.

Paramount’s response came just minutes after California and 11 other states sued to block the company’s merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, green-lit by the Trump administration.

Warner Bros. Discovery referred The California Post to Paramount and declined to comment separately.