Paramount has reportedly reached a settlement with California and other states that had sued to block its $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, clearing a significant hurdle for a deal with direct implications for AEW’s television future. According to a Bloomberg report cited by Fightful, the settlement was expected to be announced shortly after word broke.
As part of the agreement, states reportedly secured independent editorial boards for CBS and CNN, according to Fightful’s report of the Bloomberg story. The specific terms beyond that provision have not been detailed in the available reporting.
Warner Bros. Discovery is AEW’s broadcast partner, airing the promotion’s flagship programming, which makes any change in WBD’s corporate structure a matter of direct interest to the wrestling promotion and its fans. Wrestling Inc. and 411Mania both confirmed the settlement report, with Wrestling Inc. noting that WBD is described in its report as an “AEW Partner” moving closer to completing the merger with Paramount Skydance.
411Mania’s report specified that Paramount Skydance had settled with California and eleven other states as it works to clear the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The settlement addresses one of the legal obstacles that had stood in the way of the merger’s completion, though the reports do not indicate whether all regulatory or legal hurdles have been cleared.
No further details on the timeline for the merger’s completion or its specific impact on AEW’s broadcast arrangements have been reported. WAW will continue to follow developments in this story as they affect AEW’s television partnership.
