American streaming service owned by ViacomCBS Digital
The U.S. Department of Justice has approved Paramount Skydance’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery after an eight‑month probe, concluding the merger is unlikely to harm competition in streaming, linear TV or theatrical film markets. The transaction still faces reviews by U.K. and EU regulators and possible lawsuits from state attorneys general.
The White House has hosted UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn, a seven-bout card timed to President Trump’s 80th birthday and the US semiquincentennial. The event has drawn legal challenges, cost estimates above $60m and criticism that it blurs public property, private sponsors and presidential interests while thousands watched on the Mall and 4,000 attended on the lawn.
The CBS News program 60 Minutes is undergoing a major personnel shakeup. Nick Bilton has announced five new hires, including Ross Douthat and Norah O’Donnell, along with Sebastian Junger, Gianna Toboni and Trevor Phillips, to join as correspondents or contributors. The changes follow previous layoffs and leadership shifts under Bari Weiss’s editorship.
TKO Group Holdings reports a Q2 rise in revenue, offset by a roughly $30 million loss from the Freedom 250 event held at the White House South Lawn. Attendance was invite-only, with no public tickets sold, and costs exceeded $60 million. The event drew 8.2 million U.S. viewers and about 34 million globally, reinforcing the event's massive reach despite financial strain.
The UK has cleared Paramount’s proposed takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, subject to legally binding commitments to preserve Channel 5’s independence and the UK’s editorial boundaries. The CMA and DCMS say the deal will not lessen competition and will protect UK content; a US antitrust challenge remains pending.
States have filed a high-stakes antitrust challenge to Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery’s $110 billion deal, arguing it would consolidate control of films and TV programming, elevate prices, and harm audiences. Regulators seek robust remedies and a potential boardroom settlement before trial next year.