New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani added his voice to the chorus of political figures on the left opposing Paramount‘s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Ahead of a key WBD shareholder vote on Thursday, Mamdani wrote on X, “This merger is bad for New Yorkers three times over. Thousands of jobs at risk here in the city. Streaming bills going up as competition disappears. And two of America’s most powerful media companies under one roof, deciding what you watch and what you hear. Today, as Warner Bros. and Paramount shareholders vote, New York City is on record: this merger should be stopped.”
Paramount has not yet commented on Mamdani’s statement. Its CEO David Ellison has defended the transaction as boosting feature film productions, with plans to release 30 films per year by the combined studios. He also has committed to a 45-day theatrical window, amid concerns that the merger will spell a further decline of the exhibitor business.
The decision on whether to greenlight the transaction does not lie with mayors or even members of Congress, but the Justice Department and international regulators, as well as state attorneys general.
Opponents of the merger have held press calls and plan a demonstration on Thursday at WBD headquarters, tied to the shareholder vote, while they have set their sights on the possibility of state attorneys general filing suit to block the transaction.
More to come.