BOARD APPROVES HORVATH MOTION TO SUPPORT LITIGATION CHALLENGING PARAMOUNT-WARNER BROS MERGER

LOS ANGELES, CA  — Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion by Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath to support California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s legal challenge to the proposed Paramount–Warner Bros. merger by authorizing the County to provide legal support, including a potential amicus brief or supporting declarations, and to share the County’s economic analysis of the merger with the Attorney General and the other states challenging the deal.

LA County’s support of this legal challenge comes amid a federal court’s ruling which granted a temporary restraining order halting the merger from moving forward following opening arguments last week.

“Hollywood is more than a place; It is an industry of writers, actors, technicians, creators, caterers, dry cleaners, and family-owned businesses whose livelihoods depend on a thriving entertainment economy,” said Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath. “LA County has a responsibility to fight for them, defend competition, and ensure the next chapter of Hollywood is written by the people who built it, protecting and strengthening our creative economy and cultural capital for years to come.”

The motion builds on Supervisor Horvath’s March 2026 initiative directing the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity to assess the merger’s potential impacts on the regional economy. The County’s analysis found the proposed merger could put nearly 2,500 jobs in the Greater Los Angeles area at risk while further weakening one of the County’s signature industries.

The board also directed County Counsel to report back in writing in 60 days with an analysis of all other legal options for the County to pursue to protect and preserve
the television and film industry, including jobs, in Los Angeles County from
the impacts of the prospective merger.