Antitrust Law Daily Wrap Up, ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS NEWS: Teamsters says potential $111B merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery poses direct threat to film and TV workers, (Mar 13, 2026)

By Brandi O. Brown, J.D.

The union states that it submitted a detailed report this week to the DOJ’s Antitrust Division outlining its concerns.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters announced that it has reported to the Department of Justice this week that the proposed merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery poses a direct threat to film and television workers nationwide, including to nearly 15,000 Motion Picture Teamsters members. “This merger threatens the livelihoods of the very workers who built these studios into industry giants,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien.

The merger would consolidate two of the major studios in Hollywood and combine popular streaming platforms HBO Max and Paramount+, which would further consolidate decision-making power in an industry already dominated by only a few corporations, the union contends.

Substantial, enforceable guardrails. According to the union, it submitted a report this week to the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division describing its concerns. The 1.3-million-member union is urging the Department to intervene and block the deal unless substantial and enforceable safeguards are installed to increase domestic production and protect jobs. Previous mergers, it contends, have had a track record of harming workers.

“We’ve seen what happens when corporations consolidate power: jobs disappear, production leaves American communities, and workers pay the price,” said O’Brien. “The DOJ has a responsibility to stop deals that eliminate competition and harm working families. Unless Paramount and Warner Bros. can guarantee enforceable protections for domestic production and labor standards, this merger can’t be allowed to move forward.”

The union notes that Paramount and Warner Bros. have not yet announced any enforceable merger-specific benefits for workers or standards to combat the risks and claims the corporations have done nothing to suggest they will.

“Motion Picture Teamsters are urgently reminding the DOJ that it has an obligation to step in to protect workers and prevent any further damage,” said Teamsters Motion Picture Division Director Lindsay Dougherty. “Our number one priority continues to be the employment of our members, and we will continue to call for opposition across all levels of government to reject any deal that threatens jobs while consolidating power and market share.”

Companies: Paramount Skydance; Warner Bros. Discovery; Paramount+; HBO Max

News: AcquisitionsMergers Antitrust