The companies also offered concessions to the European Commission, which extended its provisional merger review deadline to July 22 as UK scrutiny remains possible.
Britain is moving toward possible intervention in Paramount Skydance Corp's proposed $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros Discovery, while the companies have also offered concessions to the European Union's merger watchdog to address competition concerns. Culture minister Lisa Nandy has given the companies until July 6 to respond before deciding whether to issue a public interest intervention notice, a step that would send the deal to Ofcom and the Competition and Markets Authority for review. Separately, the European Commission said commitments were submitted and set a new provisional July 22 deadline to complete its investigation into the planned $81 billion transaction. The deal has already been cleared in the United States, China, Australia, Germany, France and Saudi Arabia. Nandy said the global merger would affect British assets including Channel 5, CNN International, TNT Sports, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Paramount+ and HBO Max. If a formal UK intervention is launched, regulators would have up to 40 days to report back, after which Nandy could clear the deal or order a deeper investigation lasting up to 24 weeks. In the EU, the offered remedies indicate the companies are seeking to resolve antitrust concerns without a prolonged fight.