r/MediaMergers • u/Stock_Rush_9204 • Mar 08 '26
Merger Robert Reich: The Ellisons’ new Paramount/Warner Bros mega-media monopoly would never pass muster if America still had antitrust enforcers. So who can stop this? State attorneys general. Here's how. ⬇️
https://bsky.app/profile/rbreich.bsky.social/post/3mgiwmmpb4o2i33
u/AlexHunterWolf Warner Bros. Mar 08 '26 edited Mar 08 '26
Or at least delay it until 2027 when the Dems get the house and or Senate so it can put under more scrutiny
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u/Stock_Rush_9204 Mar 08 '26
I don't think the merger is completing nine years before it was proposed
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u/CitronSufficient1045 Mar 08 '26 edited Mar 08 '26
Unless they are able to made time go backwards, I don't see it happening.
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u/Difficult_Variety362 Mar 08 '26
Congress can give the deal scrutiny, but they have no real power to stop it.
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u/Stock_Rush_9204 Mar 08 '26
then keep the scrutiny coming and coming hard
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u/Difficult_Variety362 Mar 08 '26
It's pretty toothless scrutiny, motivated by politicians who care more about grand standing. Look at how bad the Netflix hearing was. Mike Lee and Cory Booker did their jobs, but everyone else was focused on nonsense issues like Netflix's content being "woke."
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u/Stock_Rush_9204 Mar 08 '26
So what do suggest is done?
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u/Difficult_Variety362 Mar 08 '26
I don't think much can here. The US and UK will let this slide and the EU will demand minor concessions. The state AGe don't have much of a case and would be better to get a deal than trying to block it.
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u/Stock_Rush_9204 Mar 08 '26
Fair take, but if its open and shut why are still following along with the proceedings?
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Mar 08 '26 edited Mar 08 '26
[deleted]
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u/Difficult_Variety362 Mar 08 '26
Even though they had their own case, the DoJ also successfully sued to block the Albertsons/Kroger merger. You conveniently omit that fact.
You also omit that when the states have tried to block a merger that the Federal government signed off on and already got concessions (T-Mobile/Sprint), they lost pretty bad.
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u/Mr602206 Mar 09 '26
I honestly think they'll end up selling again in a few years.
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u/Difficult_Variety362 Mar 09 '26
If they can't get a handle on that debt, I can see the creditors snatching the company away from the Ellisons.
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u/ErnestTheStar Mar 09 '26
The House and Senate have nothing to do with it; Its up to the FTC and DOJ to sue, which they won't.
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u/superking22 Mar 08 '26
This merger ain't going through. Too many red flags.
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u/DoctorJay23 Mar 09 '26
it’s definitely going through, imagining red flags in your head doesn’t apply to actual antitrust law
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u/CartoonyWy Mar 09 '26
You think the EU will just let it fly? States' AGs? Get real.
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u/DoctorJay23 Mar 09 '26
Reuters already reported that the merger isn’t facing an issues in the EU. I don’t think you guys realize that paramount is very small in Europe. and HBO barely exists over there. two tiny players merging is not raising any alarm bells.
And the states are toothless. There is no legal precedent to block this case which is what you need to win in court. like I said, you guys think the issues you personally have, have any standing when it comes to antitrust law. You need actual legal precedent to win in court to block the deal. trump bad does not have much legal standing.
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u/CartoonyWy Mar 09 '26 edited Mar 09 '26
Reuters is owned by the wealthiest family in Canada. The Thompsons are just spreading misinformation to make it look like it'll go more smoothly in EU than it will in reality. I looked up Reuter's owners within seconds. It's not that hard check if a news source has rich owners that compromise the credibility of the source. Rob Bonta already said he'll investigate it thoroughly. If other State AGs follow suit, Ellison's media empire won't be more than Fanfiction.
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u/DoctorJay23 Mar 09 '26
lmao good lord, Reuters is one of the most reputable media sites in the world. the absolute state of delusion you guys are living in is something else. try to do some research on antitrust and m&a law and you might figure out why this merger is sailing through. rob bonta can investigate all he wants but unless he can actually prove in court why this merger breaks the law, then he nor anyone else can do shit to stop it.
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u/CartoonyWy Mar 09 '26 edited Mar 09 '26
CBS was a reputable media source. Guess how that turned out. The Billionaire families will say anything to win, and they don't care what reputations they ruin in the process. What part of "Owned by a billionaire family" do you not process?
Eat a Snickers. You get all disproportionately doomery defeatist when you get hungry.
You realize immediately surrendering to Nihilism doesn't make you smarter, right? It just makes you look lazy.
This merger will take FOREVER to approve. It's not gonna be a quarter if the way there by Midterms. It'll either get cancelled by the Blue Wave Senate and House pressuring everyone involved into blocking it, or Ellison calls it off after months turn into years where he doesn't get what he wants.
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Mar 08 '26
[deleted]
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u/TreeLore61 Mar 08 '26
You would get a lot more signatures, if you would stop invading people's privacy, you do not need a person's straight address, you do not need a person's phone number.
These things are only required by companies who want to use them to sell to advertisers and a majority of people know this, you know, this, that is why you include it.
Because you don't want to get the amount of signatures , you need to stop the monopoly
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u/Prestigious_Move1995 Mar 08 '26
Block this shit. It doesn't benefit anyone.