Paramount has reportedly cleared a major hurdle in its proposed merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, a deal that could eventually have implications for AEW.
According to Bloomberg, Paramount has reached a settlement with California and other states that sued to block the proposed $110 billion merger. The settlement is expected to be formally announced later today. Reuters separately reports that California and 11 other states were involved in the lawsuit.
As part of the settlement, the states reportedly secured independent editorial boards for CBS and CNN.
The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Paramount and California Attorney General Rob Bonta had discussed several potential concessions. Those included a $1.5 billion investment in California production, commitments not to sell the companies’ studio lots and potential penalties if Paramount fails to honor a pledge to produce 30 movies per year following the merger.
Paramount agreed in July to hold off on completing the merger until after the antitrust trial, which had been scheduled for March 2027. The settlement removes one of the biggest remaining obstacles to the deal moving forward.
The situation is notable for AEW due to the company’s media rights agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery. AEW’s current WBD deal runs through the end of 2027 and includes an option for 2028.
AEW programming and pay-per-view events currently stream on HBO Max. The proposed Paramount-WBD combination would also bring Paramount+ and HBO Max under the same corporate umbrella.
What that ultimately means for AEW and its streaming home remains unclear. With the merger still needing to be formally completed and the combined company’s plans still taking shape, it is too early to determine whether AEW programming would eventually move to a combined streaming service or remain under a different arrangement.
