- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters opposes the Paramount Skydance–Warner Bros. Discovery merger without enforceable worker protections, calling on the DOJ to sue to block it.
- The union warns the deal threatens nearly 15,000 Motion Picture Teamsters and points to harmful precedent from Disney‘s 2019 acquisition of 20th Century Fox.
- The proposed $110 billion merger, set to close in Q3 2026, would consolidate two major studios and their streaming platforms, further concentrating industry power.
- Neither Paramount nor Warner Bros. has announced any merger-specific benefits or enforceable standards to protect workers from job losses.
- Retail sentiment around the involved stocks (PSKY and WBD) is neutral to bearish, with shares down 27% and 5% year-to-date, respectively.
The influential International Brotherhood of Teamsters has urged the Department of Justice to block the proposed $110 billion merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery this week, citing an existential threat to film and television workers nationwide. The union stated it will only support a deal with ironclad commitments to protect union jobs and domestic production standards.
Consequently, the Teamsters highlighted the dangerous precedent set by Disney‘s 2019 acquisition of 20th Century Fox, which data shows led to significant job losses and eliminated production units. The group argues the current merger would further concentrate power by combining two of Hollywood’s five major studios and streaming giants Paramount+ and HBO Max.
“This merger threatens the livelihoods of the very workers who built these studios into industry giants,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien. He emphasized that without guaranteed, enforceable protections for labor, the merger cannot proceed.
Meanwhile, Paramount and Warner Bros. have not announced any concrete, merger-specific benefits or standards to combat these risks for workers. The transaction, which boards have unanimously approved, is scheduled to close in the third quarter of 2026.
Retail investor sentiment, according to reports, has been neutral for PSKY and bearish for WBD. This follows a year where PSKY shares have fallen 27% and WBD shares are down nearly 5%.
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