Paramount edges toward a deal with US states. Four attorneys general still say no

California’s attorney general Rob Bonta is ready to settle over Paramount Skydance’s $110 billion purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery. New York, Connecticut and at least two more states are not.

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.

From 1 October Paramount starts paying $7 million a day in late fees while the deal stays open. The talks run for two days in late October. If they collapse, the trial opens in March 2027, and the sales conversations for 2027 budgets happen without an answer.