Brendan Carr, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, stated on Tuesday that Paramount Skydance's proposal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is "cleaner" and should win regulatory approval quickly, compared to a rival bid from Netflix.
Speaking to CNBC on the sidelines of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Carr said the previous Netflix proposal would have faced significant competition hurdles.
He noted that combining Netflix with WBD's studio and streaming assets raised concerns about market dominance and reduced consumer choice. In contrast, Carr described Paramount's revised $31 per share offer as less problematic from an antitrust standpoint and potentially beneficial for consumers.
Netflix had previously offered $27.75 per share for parts of WBD but withdrew after Paramount's higher bid was deemed superior. Paramount has pledged a $7 billion breakup fee if the transaction fails to secure regulatory clearance and has already paid a $2.8 billion termination fee tied to the collapsed Netflix deal.
While some lawmakers, including Elizabeth Warren, have criticized the merger, analysts say the Paramount transaction appears more palatable politically. Carr added that any FCC review would likely be minimal, signaling confidence the deal could move ahead without major delays.
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April 24, 2026 15:15 ET Economics news flow was relatively light this week even as the conflict in the Middle East continued, raising concerns for policymakers. In the U.S., spending data, initial jobless claims and pending home sales were the highlights. Business confidence in the biggest euro area economy was in focus in Europe. Inflation data from Japan gained attention in Asia.