Block The Merger Coalition Releases New Video Urging “No Concessions” On Paramount-WBD

Hannah Einbinder, Bradley Whitford, Rati Gupta, W. Kamau Bell, Kristen Vangsness and Jane Fonda urged opposition to the Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery deal in a new video from Hollywood’s Block the Merger Coalition to rally support for a “no concessions” petition as the State AGs’ lawsuit moves towards trial.

They thanked the 12 State Attorneys General plaintiffs in the case, led by Rob Bonta, and called on them to hold strong and not settle. Pressure began been raining down on Bonta in recent weeks, from politicians to industry players to some guilds. But the California AG canceled initial talks set for last Monday, accusing Paramount of leaking information, which Paramount denied. Bonta has said he would require structural changes in the combined business, not promises, which are hard to enforce. Par said for the first time last week that it is open to discussing structural change.

“No matter what Paramount promises,” says Einbinder in the video. “This mega merger – the largest financial transaction in Hollywood history – would cause massive layoffs and cuts to programming.”

“Corporations make all kinds of promises to get mergers approved, and then they break them,” added Whitford.

The group pointed to broken promises from Live Nation-Ticketmaster and Charter-Time Warner Cable mergers.

“We say to the AGs, the public is with you every step of the way,” says Kristen Vangsness.

The No Concessions petition and platform started last spring with a campaign calling on AGs to take action. An initial letter garnered over 5,600 signatures from across the entertainment industry. Coalition members also helped collect and deliver 171,000 signed petitions to Bonta’s office, urging him to investigate. WGA has filed a joint lawsuit with the AGs.

The video was put together by the Committee for the First Amendment and partners.

The AGs antitrust lawsuit is set for trial starting March 2. The next hearing is Sept. 25.