Acting Assistant Attorney General Omeed Assefi said in an interview on Wednesday that Paramount Skydance’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery will not be fast-tracked through antitrust review due to political considerations. "The idea that somehow enforcement has been politicized is ludicrous," Assefi said, declining to discuss ongoing investigations.
Speculation among analysts that Paramount might enjoy an easier path to U.S. regulatory clearance has focused in part on the company’s political connections. Paramount CEO David Ellison’s father, billionaire Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, has cultivated ties with President Donald Trump. Asked directly whether those ties would result in an easier review for Paramount, Assefi replied, "Absolutely not."
Assefi pointed to public comments by industry executives as evidence of even-handed treatment. "I think even Ted Sarandos has been very vocal about the fact that he had a very open and fair and thorough review under us," he said, referring to the CEO of Netflix.
Netflix had submitted a competing bid for Warner Bros’ studio and streaming assets, and that bid remained under department review until Netflix chose to withdraw rather than match Paramount’s offer. Paramount argues its agreement raises fewer competitive concerns than the rival Netflix proposal.
At the same time, the transaction has drawn scrutiny beyond the federal level. California Attorney General Rob Bonta has said the state is conducting its own probe of the deal.
The department’s public refusal to accept politicization allegations comes as market watchers and legal analysts continue to evaluate how multiple reviews and probes could affect the timetable and outcome of the proposed transaction. Assefi declined to provide details on the specific status of any ongoing probes.
Separately, promotional materials noting third-party tools and services have also referenced the transaction. One such service states that it evaluates Warner Bros Discovery alongside thousands of other companies using a wide range of financial metrics and AI-driven strategies, and that its system has identified notable past winners. The service also offers to indicate whether Warner Bros Discovery appears in its current strategies or if other opportunities in the sector may be preferable.