David Ellison, Chairman and CEO of Paramount Skydance, spoke at the New York Upfront Partnership Event 2026 held at Storied NYC on April 22, 2026. The discussion took place amidst the context of ongoing negotiations involving Paramount’s substantial acquisition plans.
Paramount’s owners have agreed to several concessions to settle a legal dispute with a coalition of 12 Democratic state attorneys general. This lawsuit threatened the company’s $111 billion acquisition bid for Warner Bros. Discovery. The details of these concessions were shared by a source familiar with the agreement, preferring to remain anonymous as formal public disclosure is pending.
As part of the settlement, Paramount will keep Warner Bros. Studios and Paramount Pictures as separate entities for the time being. Collectively, they are obliged to release a minimum of 30 films annually. Failing to meet this requirement could result in financial penalties. Additionally, the agreement includes the establishment of a board to prevent corporate interference in CNN’s newsroom decisions. This measure addresses the concerns of several attorneys general.
The story is still developing, and further updates are expected.