Hours after word broke that Paramount has reached a settlement with 12 state attorneys general over their antitrust lawsuit, the Block the Merger coalition says it’s “disappointed” and “angry,” vowing not to disappear just because the merger has been cleared.
“This is a bad deal for the future of film, entertainment, independent journalism, and a strong democracy in this country. We are disappointed and angry that the interests of average Americans have been trampled to benefit oligarch billionaires,” the statement reads.
The group continues: “The Ellisons and other forces arrayed against us, but that didn’t stop us and so many others from standing up. We are proud of what we accomplished, and together, our coalition will keep fighting. From the thousands of leaders in the film and entertainment industry and elected officials, to the hundreds of thousands who joined them to make their voices heard, even in the face of potential retaliation, this was a grassroots movement that proved Americans are not going to take this corruption anymore. That energy is not going away.”
The group says its mission was never about a single merger, and vowed to keep fighting.
“This isn’t the last we will hear of the Ellisons or the fallout of this merger – and it’s not the last you will hear from us,” the statement added. “Block the Merger was never just about one merger, but about the harms of media consolidation and promoting a diversity of voices. We will continue fighting for accountability and policy reforms to break up and prevent these large conglomerates. This one battle may be over in our efforts to defend democracy, but we won’t stop fighting until we win the war.”
Details of the settlement between Paramount and the 12 states have not yet been disclosed, but California Attorney General Rob Bonta is scheduled to speak to press on Monday with a full announcement coming later.
The Block the Merger coalition was formed this summer in response to Paramount’s push to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery and has been lobbying to stop the merger from going forward.
