Paramount Skydance Wins Australia, New Zealand Clearance for $111 Billion WBD Deal as UK Opens Probe
Updated
Updated · Hollywood Reporter · Jun 10
Paramount Skydance Wins Australia, New Zealand Clearance for $111 Billion WBD Deal as UK Opens Probe
3 articles · Updated · Hollywood Reporter · Jun 10
Summary
$111 billion Paramount Skydance takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery cleared key hurdles in Australia and New Zealand, allowing the merger to move closer to closing outside the UK.
June 23 is the next date to watch in Australia, where a 14-day waiting period follows the ACCC's finding that the deal is unlikely to substantially lessen competition in theatrical film supply.
New Zealand's Commerce Commission said on June 5 it would not consider the merger further under its voluntary clearance regime, removing another regulatory obstacle.
Britain's CMA has now formally opened a review and must decide by Aug. 7 whether to escalate the case to a deeper phase 2 investigation.
Recent approvals from Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, Serbia, North Macedonia and several European foreign-investment authorities show the companies are steadily assembling international clearance for the megadeal.
With Hollywood in revolt over the $111B deal, will this media mega-merger save the industry or just consolidate power?
Can a company carrying $79 billion in debt truly boost content creation, or is this merger a massive financial gamble?
Is this merger about streaming, or a play to dominate entertainment with Oracle's AI and data?
The $110 Billion Paramount Skydance–Warner Bros. Discovery Merger: Regulatory Hurdles, Strategic Stakes, and Industry Impact in 2026
Overview
As of June 10, 2026, the $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery by Paramount Skydance Corp. is facing major regulatory scrutiny worldwide. The most immediate challenges are in the United Kingdom and the European Union, where authorities are closely examining the deal for anti-competitive risks. In the UK, the Competition and Markets Authority has launched a formal probe with a decision expected by August 7. Meanwhile, the United States is also reviewing the merger, while Australia has already approved it. These regulatory hurdles are critical steps that will determine whether the merger can move forward.