AEW’s future with Warner Bros. Discovery just got wrapped into an even bigger media war as Paramount has accused Netflix of trying to block its merger deal.
According to Variety, Paramount Skydance’s top lawyer, Makan Delrahim, is accusing Netflix of trying to turn regulators and other groups against Paramount’s pending $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. That matters for AEW because Tony Khan has been optimistic about AEW remaining connected to WBD if the Paramount-WBD deal goes through. Makan Delrahim claimed Netflix is worried about facing a larger Paramount-WBD competitor and is allegedly lobbying against the deal behind the scenes.
“Netflix’s panic-level response and scorched-earth campaign to try and poison regulators and other stakeholders against the Transaction shows just how seriously Netflix takes Paramount as a scaled competitor.”
The fight also involves concerns from the Teamsters, who previously warned the DOJ that the merger could hurt film and television workers. Delrahim pushed back on that idea and argued the combined company would actually create more production work.
“Paramount’s content strategy aligns directly with the Teamsters’ interests. More films and series in production means more call sheets, more location days, more transportation, casting, and catering work.”
Netflix denied Paramount’s accusation and told Variety the claim is ridiculous, saying it walked away from the deal months ago and is focused on its own business: “These claims from Paramount Skydance are absurd. We walked away from this deal months ago and remain focused on our own business, not theirs.”
For AEW, the bigger takeaway is that the Paramount-WBD merger is still facing serious regulatory heat. While Khan views Paramount as a positive landing spot, the deal is now caught in a fight involving Netflix, labor concerns, antitrust questions, and international ownership scrutiny.
Nothing has changed with AEW’s current WBD deal yet, but this shows the media landscape around the company is getting messier. If Paramount-WBD moves forward, AEW could still benefit from staying attached to the combined company, but there are clearly major hurdles before that becomes reality.
What do you think about Paramount accusing Netflix of trying to damage the WBD merger? Please share your thoughts and feedback below.
