Hours after President Donald Trump’s Justice Department cleared the Paramount-Warner Bros. deal, the Block the Merger coalition vowed it would “never” become a “done deal.”
“The Ellisons’ bid to take control of Warner Bros. Discovery is a direct threat to the film and entertainment industry, independent media and democracy in this country and beyond,” the coalition noted in a statement released to media Friday. “If allowed to go forward, this consolidation would reduce jobs, competition and the views and voices presented in our entertainment and news media — all while increasing costs for consumers.”
They added: “That the DOJ, an agency filled with Trump loyalists like acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, would green light this merger is no surprise. The transaction will likely benefit the president by muzzling CNN, a major independent news outlet committed to reporting on and investigating this administration’s actions. This is a joke — and it is what corruption looks like.”
As the statement went on, the coalition stated that their campaign against the merger was “continuing to build momentum,” adding, “Our grassroots opposition movement is growing. And, according to press reports, it appears that state Attorneys General will heed our calls to bring suit and protect American consumers, small businesses and the working people whose livelihoods are threatened by this disastrous transaction.”
The Block the Merger coalition warned that, in addition to pushback from states attorneys general, regulators in the U.K. and Europe were set to deliver “what the Department of Justice will not.” Namely, they believe regulators overseas will deliver “the scrutiny this merger deserves.”
“They are charged with assessing the merger’s overwhelmingly anti-competitive effects and the harm it will have on crucial public interests, like freedom of expression, media pluralism and the diversity of voices on which the public relies,” the statement added. “These public interest and market considerations overwhelmingly counsel against approving this merger. The DOJ’s rubber-stamp approval is not a legitimate or fair assessment of the anti-competitive nature of the deal.”
Before signing off their response, the coalition said their message “remains the same,” writing, “This merger is not a done deal, and we will continue to work to make sure it never is.”
A representative for Paramount did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
However, the Block the Merger coalition was not the only group to speak out against the DOJ signing off on the WarnerMount deal. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) also ripped into the DOJ over the move, calling on state attorneys general to “block this merger.”
“This is terrible news for every American who doesn’t want Trump-aligned billionaires to control what they watch and how much they pay,” Warren wrote on X. “The Paramount-Warner Bros. deal has reeked of corruption and influence-peddling. This fight isn’t over. State AGs must block this merger.”
Though, California Attorney General Rob Bonta downplayed the DOJ’s decision Friday on X, assuring the merger is “not a done deal … and remains under investigation by my office.”
Nonetheless, in a statement on Friday, the DOJ said that the transaction is “not likely to result in harm to competition or American consumers” based on the evidence received over the course of an eight-month investigation.
It noted that it received over 2 million documents from over 80 parties, “substantial productions” of data, as well as extensive documents, data and advocacy from third parties across the media and entertainment ecosystem. State attorneys general also participated in the investigation, which allowed it to share information with the DOJ and vice versa and attend related depositions.
The DOJ’s statement also noted: “The extensive investigatory record reviewed by the Division suggests that the impact of the transaction will be to increase competition across the media and entertainment ecosystem, with benefits for American consumers and workers.”
A spokesperson for Paramount once again defended the deal on Friday after the DOJ’s decision, noting, “This deal is pro-competitive, resulting in a stronger company better positioned to compete against dominant technology platforms in an industry increasingly defined by intense competition for audiences, talent, technology, and investment. We remain focused on completing the transaction as soon as possible and delivering its benefits to consumers, creators, and the entertainment industry as a whole.”
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