Writers Guild files lawsuit to block $111 billion Paramount-WBD merger

The lawsuit signals a shift in labor strategy, moving beyond collective bargaining to use antitrust litigation to protect the 'creative economy.' If successful, it could set a precedent for blocking media consolidation based on labor buyer power (monopsony) rather than just consumer pricing. For the broader ecosystem, this creates a major roadblock for David Ellison's Skydance-led entity, which had already secured federal DOJ clearance in June 2026. Watch for the U.S. District Court's ruling on a temporary restraining order, which would freeze integration efforts and potentially force a deal termination if legal proceedings drag into 2027.

The WGA action follows an active year for media M&A litigation. On July 13, 2026, California Attorney General Rob Bonta led a 12-state coalition in filing a separate federal suit to block the same transaction. Per The Guardian, that complaint warned the merger would control roughly one-third of the theatrical and basic cable markets, leading to thousands of job losses. This litigation represents the most significant challenge to the deal since Paramount Skydance won a bidding war against Netflix in February 2026, valuing the combined assets at $111 billion.

Regulatory dynamics have also shifted under the second Trump administration. While the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) cleared the merger on June 12, 2026, the administration has otherwise pivoted toward case-by-case labor enforcement. Per RuleGarza (February 2026), federal agencies have returned to more traditional theories of horizontal harm while increasing the use of structural remedies like divestitures. Paramount Global previously navigated significant regulatory hurdles, including a $16 million settlement with Donald Trump in July 2025 regarding a CBS interview, which Reuters reported as a factor in the FCC's eventual approval of the initial Skydance-Paramount merger on August 7, 2025.

The WGA lawsuit specifically references the 2022 Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster case as a legal blueprint. In that instance, a federal court successfully blocked a merger because it threatened to depress author advances by consolidating the buyer market for 'bestselling' books. By applying this logic to Hollywood, the guild aims to establish that the erosion of creative diversity and employment leverage constitutes a violation of the Clayton Act, even in an environment where federal regulators have shown a willingness to approve massive scale in order to compete with tech-led streaming platforms.