About this episode

The episode discusses the legal challenges facing Paramount Skydance's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery and its implications for the entertainment industry.

It’s a bad week for David Ellison, with Paramount Skydance facing two concurrent lawsuits seeking to block its $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery — plus a shareholder case accusing Ellison and his father, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, of corruption. On Monday, 12 state attorneys general — led by California AG Rob Bonta — filed their long-expected lawsuit, claiming the proposed merger was “unlawful.” On Tuesday, the Writers Guild of America stepped up, saying the combined company “threatens the economic and creative health of the American entertainment industry.” Former FTC commissioner Alvaro Bedoya and WGA West board member Adam Conover join Elaine Low to explain the states’ and WGA’s respective suits — and the harms they see the deal causing to an entertainment industry already under strain. Plus, all good things must come to an end: Sean McNulty and Natalie Jarvey break down the power of Love Island USA and the ratings bonanza that is the World Cup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Elaine Low

Guests: Alvaro Bedoya, Adam Conover

Topics covered

• mergers and acquisitions
• entertainment industry
• lawsuits
• shareholder corruption
• economic health
• creative health
• ratings

Keywords

• Paramount Skydance
• Warner Bros. Discovery
• lawsuits
• Writers Guild of America
• merger
• entertainment industry
• David Ellison
• Larry Ellison
• World Cup
• Love Island USA

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Paramount Skydance, Warner Bros. Discovery, Writers Guild of America, FTC

Books & works: Love Island USA

More episodes of Ankler Agenda

• BONUS EP: Rob Bonta: How We Plan to Kill the Paramount-WBD Deal · July 20, 2026 · 36 min
• BONUS EP: Netflix’s Next Deal? Spotify Is Hiding in Plain Sight · July 13, 2026 · 41 min
• Nolan’s ‘Odyssey,’ Taylor Swift’s Wedding & the Summer of Spectacle · July 9, 2026 · 34 min
• The Books Hollywood Is Obsessed With This Summer · July 2, 2026 · 33 min
• BONUS EP: Comcast Is Leaving Hollywood. What Now for NBCU? · June 29, 2026 · 35 min
• BONUS EP: What Is Cannes Lions — and Why YouTube vs. Netflix Was All the Talk · June 29, 2026 · 37 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Ankler Agenda podcast page.