US regulators downplay concerns over Paramount-Warner Bros. merger

格隆汇 March 3｜According to the Financial Times, the head of the US media regulatory agency stated that regulators will not seek to block Paramount's $110 billions acquisition of Warner Bros., and downplayed concerns about competition that may arise from the merger of CBS and CNN, which are respectively affiliated with Paramount and Warner's television networks. Brendan Carr, chairman of the US Federal Communications Commission, said Washington had previously expressed concerns that the deal already reached between Warner and Netflix could lead to "excessive concentration of power." However, he added, "Obviously, the scale and issues of market share involved in the Paramount acquisition are completely different." The role of the Federal Communications Commission is mainly limited to reviewing the financing structure proposed by Paramount. The company is owned by CEO David Ellison, who is the son of Oracle founder Larry Ellison, a longtime supporter of Trump. Paramount's deal is supported by $47 billions in equity financing, all provided by the Ellison family and US private equity firm RedBird Capital Partners.