The British government is preparing to put the brakes on the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, citing a fear that it could negatively impact the media ecosystem of the country.
British culture minister Lisa Nandy said Tuesday that “following engagement with the parties and independent research,” her ministry reached out to the “current and proposed owners of Warner Bros Discovery on my behalf to inform them that I am minded to intervene.”
“Minded to intervene” is a phrase used by the British government to announce a legal action before it has been taken.
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy leaves after a cabinet meeting in Downing Street, London, Tuesday, May 12, 2026 as Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing the biggest threat yet to his authority after a growing number of disaffected lawmakers called for him to step down.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
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Nandy said that she felt compelled to oppose the merger in order to ensure a “sufficient plurality of views in news media” and a “sufficient plurality of persons with control of the media enterprises.”
Paramount Skydance plans to take over Warner Bros. Discovery with its $110 billion deal, acquiring assets including CNN, HBO, and the Warner Bros. movie studio. Paramount hopes the deal will be completed and in effect by the end of September.
The company said in a Tuesday statement that it remains confident the issues raised by the culture minister will be duly addressed and the merger will proceed as planned.
“We are grateful for the continued constructive engagement with all interested government bodies and relevant authorities, including in the U.K.,” the company wrote. “We are confident that our proposed transaction does not pose any media plurality issues in the UK and remain confident in our stated transaction timeline.”
Nandy’s intervention is likely to ruffle feathers in the White House. President Donald Trump has endorsed the merger.
The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Trump is excited by the deal because his ally, Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison, is the father of Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison. Larry Ellison is a close ally of the president, supporting the MAGA agenda both ideologically and financially.
The Journal asserted that Larry Ellison told Trump that if Paramount was able to acquire Warner Bros., it would be able to fundamentally transform CNN, long a thorn in the side of the president.
Paramount said in a press statement that there had been “no commitments from either David or Larry Ellison […] regarding the future of CNN or any other news property, other than the goal to deliver truth-based journalism.”
DOJ GREENLIGHTS WARNER BROS. MERGER WITH PARAMOUNT
The U.S. Department of Justice announced earlier this month that it would not impede the merger, claiming the “transaction is not likely to result in harm to competition or American consumers.” It was the conclusion of an eight-month investigation into the deal that combed through over 20 million documents and huge tranches of data.
“The extensive investigatory record reviewed by the Division suggests that the impact of the transaction will be to increase competition across the media and entertainment ecosystem, with benefits for American consumers and workers,” the DOJ said.
