Judge approves the Paramount settlement. The WBD deal is set to close on 6 October

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Paramount Skydance settled with the attorneys general of 12 states on 21 September, California and New York among them. Chief executive David Ellison said the Warner Bros. Discovery purchase should close in about two weeks.

The settlement leaves the cable channels with Paramount

Paramount does not have to sell any cable networks. Instead an independent board will watch over editorial independence at CNN and CBS News. The deal ends the case without the antitrust trial the court had set for March 2027. The Writers Guild of America had filed its own complaint in the same case.

The earlier stages of the dispute are set out below.

Bonta is in, James and Tong are holding out

Letitia James in New York wants stronger protection for staff. William Tong in Connecticut is pressing for CNN and CBS News to stay editorially independent. Two further states have asked for more. Bonta told reporters his office “didn’t think the United States DOJ did an adequate review” of the deal (CNN, English).

CNN monitoring and cable disposals sit on the table

The concessions under discussion include an outside monitor for CNN’s output. Paramount would also make commitments on cinema releases. The two film studios would be run apart for a set period. States have also asked for structural remedies, which in practice means selling cable channels.

Judge Hixson set two days of talks for late October

Magistrate Judge Thomas Hixson, sitting in San Francisco, ordered both sides to meet for two consecutive days in late October. The Writers Guild of America West joins the table. The same group of states fought Paramount’s $1.88 billion bond demand earlier this month.

Media buyers have a stake in the outcome. A monitor over CNN changes how the channel sells its inventory to brands that care about news adjacency. Cable disposals would move whole sales houses. Paramount is already reviewing SkyShowtime with Comcast in 22 European markets.

The next date to watch is 6 October. If the deal closes then, CNN, HBO Max and TVN sit with CBS and Paramount+, and 2027 upfront talks run with one sales house instead of two.