Paramount seeks $1.88 billion bond from state AGs to cover costs of WBD merger delay

The Paramount Pictures logo is displayed on a water tower in Los Angeles, California, on August 6, 2026. Michael Yanow | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesParamount Skydance will seek to force the states holding up its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery to pay for the fees and costs associated with the delay, according to a new filing in the antitrust case Monday. Paramount is requesting a $1.88 billion bond that would be paid by the states behind the lawsuit. In July, a dozen state attorneys general led by California's Rob Bonta filed to challenge the proposed $110 billion merger between Paramount and WBD. The proposed deal would combine two storied film studios — Paramount and Warner Bros. — as well as put together a sprawling portfolio of pay TV networks in the U.S. and streaming platforms HBO Max and Paramount+. Paramount has received regulatory approvals from the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as all other global jurisdictions needed to move forward with the merger. But last month, Paramount agreed to delay the proposed acquisition to as late as June 2027 while the state AGs' case heads to trial.Paramount long planned to have the deal closed by the end of S...