LONDON, June 30 (Reuters) – British culture minister Lisa Nandy said on Tuesday she was minded to intervene in Paramount Skydance Corp’s proposed $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros Discovery, citing concerns about maintaining media plurality.
“Following engagement with the parties and independent research, my department has today written to the current and proposed owners of Warner Bros Discovery on my behalf to inform them that I am minded to intervene,” Nandy said in a written statement.
Nandy said her assessment focused on the impact on British audiences, including services such as Channel 5, TNT Sports, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon and CNN International, as well as streaming platforms Paramount+ and HBO Max.
She added that she was considering whether to expand public interest rules to better reflect the growing role of on-demand viewing.
Warner Bros Discovery did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Paramount could not be reached for comment.
Britain’s possible intervention comes as the global deal has ben cleared by the United States, China, Australia, Germany, France and Saudi Arabia.
(Reporting by Muvija M and Sarah Young, writing by Sam Tabahriti; Editing by Kate Holton)
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