Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has announced she will not intervene in Paramount's proposed acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery. This decision removes one of the remaining obstacles to the £85bn takeover, which is set to create a global media company.
Paramount secured the UK government's backing by agreeing to significant concessions. These include ensuring Channel 5 continues as a public service broadcaster until the end of 2034 and that Channel 5 News maintains its editorial independence, separate from CBS News and CNN International.
The agreement also stipulates that Paramount's linear and on-demand services in Britain will retain distinct editorial identities for five years, covering children's TV content. Furthermore, the deal guarantees no reduction in the number of people commissioning content in Britain, with Channel 5 continuing to support UK-originated drama, factual, and entertainment shows.
Nandy's department had previously ordered Britain's media and competition watchdogs to examine the deal in June. The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has also cleared the acquisition, which has already received approval from the EU.
The acquisition still faces a legal challenge in the US from a coalition of US states and writers' guilds seeking to block it on antitrust grounds. A California federal judge has scheduled the trial for March 2027.