Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison has broken his silence on the antitrust lawsuit seeking to stop his company’s proposed takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. According to The Hollywood Reporter, in New York Times opinion piece, Ellison argued that politics and concerns about his potential control of CNN are driving the legal challenge.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and 11 other state attorneys general filed one of the lawsuits, while the Writers Guild of America launched a separate case one day later. Ellison said he initially stayed quiet because executives overseeing news organizations should not influence coverage involving their own companies.
Paramount owns CBS, while Warner Bros. Discovery owns CNN. “I believe that anyone who oversees a news organization — I am chief executive of Paramount, which owns CBS — shouldn’t put a finger on the scale, especially on matters involving his own company,” Ellison wrote.
The Hollywood Reporter notes Ellison claimed the dispute is not mainly about the combined company’s market share. Instead, he believes opponents are questioning whether he can be trusted to oversee CNN.
“I believe a plainer worry sits beneath the briefs and the news releases: the news,” Ellison wrote. “The issue is whether I can be trusted as a steward of Warner’s CNN.” His comments arrive shortly after another major setback for the deal.
As mxdwn previously reported, Paramount agreed not to complete its $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery before June 1, 2027, or until the courts rule on the antitrust case. That article also examined the financial pressure created by the delay, including a daily fee owed to Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders if the deal remains unfinished after Sept. 30.
Ellison also addressed speculation about his political beliefs. He said he has supported candidates from both major parties and holds views that could be described as both conservative and liberal.
“I believe that news should be based on facts and truth,” Ellison wrote. He added that journalists should remain independent and answer to the facts rather than any political party or cause.
Ellison also repeated his commitment to maintaining film and television production if the acquisition is completed. He argued that traditional Hollywood studios need greater scale as they compete with large technology companies.