Paramount Settles Antitrust Lawsuits Clearing Warner Bros. Acquisition Path

Paramount has settled the antitrust lawsuits brought against it by 12 states, taking a major step forward in its planned acquisition of Warner Bros. First reported by Bloomberg, settlement talks between Paramount and attorneys general concluded after four opposing states conceded. Those four states were New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Minnesota. The settlement agreement includes a commitment to spend an additional $1.5 billion on film production in California, the assignment of a board of independent journalists to oversee news organizations like CNN and CBS News, and a financial penalty if Paramount fails to distribute at least 30 movies a year in theaters.

With Paramount acquiring Warner Bros. for roughly $111 billion, the deal includes Warner Bros. Games and its major franchises like Mortal Kombat, Harry Potter, Batman, and DC Comics. There has been no official word yet on what the finalized deal will mean for individual Warner Bros. development studios, such as NetherRealm, Rocksteady, TT Games, and Avalanche Software. Paramount previously established Paramount Games Studio and announced its first title, TMNT: The Last Ronin.