Blue State AGs Side With Paramount Scolding Sen. Cory Booker Over Settlement Opposition: "A Negotiated Agreement …Includes Compromises On Behalf Of All Of The Parties Involved"

Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery have pushed back at Senator Cory Booker. He had criticised their settlement over a $111 billion merger. A dozen Democratic-led states joined the companies in a court filing. The filing says a negotiated deal cannot give every side everything it wants. It argues the settlement is a fair compromise that deals with competition concerns. Lawyers filed their response just before a judge's deadline. Booker had sent a letter on 24 September opposing the deal.

Antitrust laws aim to stop companies from getting so big that they reduce competition. The merger would join two major Hollywood studios. State attorneys general and the US government have looked closely at the plan. The settlement is meant to address those concerns without blocking the deal. A judge still has to approve it. Politicians from both parties have weighed in on whether it is tough enough.

Media mergers can change what you watch and how much you pay. How this deal is settled could shape your choices in streaming and TV for years.