Demand Paramount Skydance to halt the merger/acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery
Demand Paramount Skydance to halt the merger/acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery
The Issue
On September 11, 2025, The Wall Street Journal reported that Larry Ellison's Paramount Skydance was exploring a bid to acquire the entirety of Warner Bros. Discovery. For me, this news struck a chord. The thought of another monumental merger looms over many of us who value diversity, creativity, and competition in the entertainment industry.
Just a couple of years ago, this nearly became our reality when the merger was initially proposed in 2023. It was a relief for many when the merger plans were cancelled at that time. Now, the threat looms once again as Paramount Skydance, having recently completed their acquisition of Paramount Global from the Redstone family, sets its sights on Warner Bros. Discovery.
The merger would give a single entity a vast majority of control over beloved studios and media franchises. This could limit consumer choices and stifle creative freedom within the industry. At a time when diverse voices and innovative content are more important than ever, this potential acquisition threatens to narrow the scope of what's possible in both television and cinema.
Moreover, consolidating such power into one corporation may lead to less competitive practices, potentially driving prices up and quality down for consumers. It's vital for the health of the media landscape to maintain a rich tapestry of competing ideas and firms.
On February 27, 2026, Paramount Skydance confirms their deal of acquiring all of Warner Bros. Discovery for $110 billion. The deal is expected to be closed by September 30, 2026 at the earliest.
Following the halted merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery, we are facing a critical turning point in entertainment history. The current leadership has led to unprecedented devaluation and strategic errors.
We Demand the Following Actions:
- Split WBD Back: Immediately cease the merged entity and split Warner Bros. Discovery back into WarnerMedia (WarnerMedia's assets) and Discovery, Inc. (Discovery, Inc.'s assets) to maximize value.
- Leadership Change: Fire David Zaslav as President and CEO, following the failure to turn around the company and a symbolic shareholder vote against his pay package. Appoint Jim Samples (former Cartoon Network/HGTV president) as the new President and CEO of The Warner Bros. Company to restore creative health and fan confidence.
- Revive Broadcast Networks: Revive The WB (Warner Bros./Nexstar) and UPN (Paramount) broadcast networks to restore prestige television programming. CBS (Paramount), The CW (Warner Bros./Paramount), and MyNetworkTV (Fox) will be kept as broadcast networks.
- A+E Acquisition: Warner Bros. will acquire A+E Global Media, purchasing the combined stakes held by Disney and Hearst.
- Paramount Restructuring: Paramount must remove the Skydance byline.
- Lionsgate Acquisition: Paramount will acquire Lionsgate Studios to solidify its content library, fire David Ellison, and hire Jon Feltheimer (current Lionsgate Studios CEO) as Chairman and CEO to lead a renewed, independent Paramount.
- Amazon Separation: Amazon will split Amazon MGM Studios back into distinct Amazon Studios and MGM Holdings units.
- CW Legacy: Restore the previous CW logo in honor of The CW's 20th Anniversary.
- MeTV Realignment: Weigel Broadcasting will cease MeTV Toons and MeTV+ operations to streamline its portfolio.
- Leadership Comeback: We also demand that Paramount Skydance immediately rehire Jeff Shell as president. Despite his recent departure, his veteran leadership as former CEO of NBCUniversal is essential for steering the company, especially as it attempts to finalize its $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.
- Cartoon Network/Adult Swim Handovers: We demand that Cartoon Network immediately restore its scheduling to:
- Saturday–Thursday: Extend Cartoon Network operating hours to start at 6:00 a.m. and close at 9:00 p.m. (late December or early January - late September or early October) or 10:00 p.m. (late September or early October - late December or early January) (reducing Adult Swim to 4–5 hours).
- Fridays: Extend Cartoon Network to be a 24-hour channel, with Adult Swim being completely absent, allowing for "Cartoon Cartoon Fridays" or all-day youth programming. Formally revive the Too Funny to Sleep block on TBS, airing Adult Swim shows on Friday nights from 12:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time.
- Independent Future: Halt the merger with Paramount Skydance to ensure Cartoon Network remains a focused brand under Warner Bros. Discovery.
- Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite Handovers: We demand Nickelodeon reduce the Nick@Nite block and restore daytime content, ensuring Nick@Nite does not start before 8:00 p.m., 9:00 p.m., or 10:00 p.m. ET, and that the block strictly ends by 7:00 a.m. Every Day to prioritize content for families.
We need regulatory bodies and stakeholders to scrutinize this potential acquisition critically. Warner Bros. Discovery plays a crucial role in the entertainment ecosystem, and its independence is vital for maintaining a competitive and vibrant industry.
Join me in urging those in power to reconsider and stop this acquisition before it’s too late. Sign this petition to protect the diversity and creativity of the entertainment industry, ensuring it can thrive for years to come without being hampered by excessive corporate control.
‼️Add pressure to Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery's leadership by taking the following actions to support this petition.
📧 Email Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery's decision-makers and tell them to ban the acquisition or merger:
- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Paramount Skydance - David Ellison, ✉️ dellison@skydance.com, or david.ellison@gmail.com, David_Ellison@paramount.com
- President of Paramount Skydance - Jeff Shell, ✉️ JShell@nbcuni.com, jeff.shell@gmail.com, or Jeff_Shell@paramount.com
- President and Chief Executive Officer of Warner Bros. Discovery - David Zaslav, ✉️ david_zaslav@discovery.com or david.zaslav@wbd.com
- President of the United States - Donald Trump, ✉️ president@whitehouse.gov
📲 Comment on social media to share the issue with its customers:
❤️Thank you for your support of Warner Bros. Discovery!❤️
157
The Issue
On September 11, 2025, The Wall Street Journal reported that Larry Ellison's Paramount Skydance was exploring a bid to acquire the entirety of Warner Bros. Discovery. For me, this news struck a chord. The thought of another monumental merger looms over many of us who value diversity, creativity, and competition in the entertainment industry.
Just a couple of years ago, this nearly became our reality when the merger was initially proposed in 2023. It was a relief for many when the merger plans were cancelled at that time. Now, the threat looms once again as Paramount Skydance, having recently completed their acquisition of Paramount Global from the Redstone family, sets its sights on Warner Bros. Discovery.
The merger would give a single entity a vast majority of control over beloved studios and media franchises. This could limit consumer choices and stifle creative freedom within the industry. At a time when diverse voices and innovative content are more important than ever, this potential acquisition threatens to narrow the scope of what's possible in both television and cinema.
Moreover, consolidating such power into one corporation may lead to less competitive practices, potentially driving prices up and quality down for consumers. It's vital for the health of the media landscape to maintain a rich tapestry of competing ideas and firms.
On February 27, 2026, Paramount Skydance confirms their deal of acquiring all of Warner Bros. Discovery for $110 billion. The deal is expected to be closed by September 30, 2026 at the earliest.
Following the halted merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery, we are facing a critical turning point in entertainment history. The current leadership has led to unprecedented devaluation and strategic errors.
We Demand the Following Actions:
- Split WBD Back: Immediately cease the merged entity and split Warner Bros. Discovery back into WarnerMedia (WarnerMedia's assets) and Discovery, Inc. (Discovery, Inc.'s assets) to maximize value.
- Leadership Change: Fire David Zaslav as President and CEO, following the failure to turn around the company and a symbolic shareholder vote against his pay package. Appoint Jim Samples (former Cartoon Network/HGTV president) as the new President and CEO of The Warner Bros. Company to restore creative health and fan confidence.
- Revive Broadcast Networks: Revive The WB (Warner Bros./Nexstar) and UPN (Paramount) broadcast networks to restore prestige television programming. CBS (Paramount), The CW (Warner Bros./Paramount), and MyNetworkTV (Fox) will be kept as broadcast networks.
- A+E Acquisition: Warner Bros. will acquire A+E Global Media, purchasing the combined stakes held by Disney and Hearst.
- Paramount Restructuring: Paramount must remove the Skydance byline.
- Lionsgate Acquisition: Paramount will acquire Lionsgate Studios to solidify its content library, fire David Ellison, and hire Jon Feltheimer (current Lionsgate Studios CEO) as Chairman and CEO to lead a renewed, independent Paramount.
- Amazon Separation: Amazon will split Amazon MGM Studios back into distinct Amazon Studios and MGM Holdings units.
- CW Legacy: Restore the previous CW logo in honor of The CW's 20th Anniversary.
- MeTV Realignment: Weigel Broadcasting will cease MeTV Toons and MeTV+ operations to streamline its portfolio.
- Leadership Comeback: We also demand that Paramount Skydance immediately rehire Jeff Shell as president. Despite his recent departure, his veteran leadership as former CEO of NBCUniversal is essential for steering the company, especially as it attempts to finalize its $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.
- Cartoon Network/Adult Swim Handovers: We demand that Cartoon Network immediately restore its scheduling to:
- Saturday–Thursday: Extend Cartoon Network operating hours to start at 6:00 a.m. and close at 9:00 p.m. (late December or early January - late September or early October) or 10:00 p.m. (late September or early October - late December or early January) (reducing Adult Swim to 4–5 hours).
- Fridays: Extend Cartoon Network to be a 24-hour channel, with Adult Swim being completely absent, allowing for "Cartoon Cartoon Fridays" or all-day youth programming. Formally revive the Too Funny to Sleep block on TBS, airing Adult Swim shows on Friday nights from 12:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time.
- Independent Future: Halt the merger with Paramount Skydance to ensure Cartoon Network remains a focused brand under Warner Bros. Discovery.
- Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite Handovers: We demand Nickelodeon reduce the Nick@Nite block and restore daytime content, ensuring Nick@Nite does not start before 8:00 p.m., 9:00 p.m., or 10:00 p.m. ET, and that the block strictly ends by 7:00 a.m. Every Day to prioritize content for families.
We need regulatory bodies and stakeholders to scrutinize this potential acquisition critically. Warner Bros. Discovery plays a crucial role in the entertainment ecosystem, and its independence is vital for maintaining a competitive and vibrant industry.
Join me in urging those in power to reconsider and stop this acquisition before it’s too late. Sign this petition to protect the diversity and creativity of the entertainment industry, ensuring it can thrive for years to come without being hampered by excessive corporate control.
‼️Add pressure to Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery's leadership by taking the following actions to support this petition.
📧 Email Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery's decision-makers and tell them to ban the acquisition or merger:
- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Paramount Skydance - David Ellison, ✉️ dellison@skydance.com, or david.ellison@gmail.com, David_Ellison@paramount.com
- President of Paramount Skydance - Jeff Shell, ✉️ JShell@nbcuni.com, jeff.shell@gmail.com, or Jeff_Shell@paramount.com
- President and Chief Executive Officer of Warner Bros. Discovery - David Zaslav, ✉️ david_zaslav@discovery.com or david.zaslav@wbd.com
- President of the United States - Donald Trump, ✉️ president@whitehouse.gov
📲 Comment on social media to share the issue with its customers:
❤️Thank you for your support of Warner Bros. Discovery!❤️
157
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Petition created on September 13, 2025