Email the CMA
The Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery merger is not a done deal. UK regulators can still stop it — and your voice matters.
Open the template below, personalise it, and send it to the CMA.
The template opens in Google Docs in a new tab. The briefing is a one-page PDF you can share or print.
Talking Points for UK Supporters
Use these to personalise your message to the CMA — or to talk to friends, colleagues, and your MP.
Threats to UK Film & TV
- •UK film and TV is thriving — £6.8 billion in production spend in 2025 (up 22%), more than 180,000 jobs, and about £12 billion a year for the economy. The industry leans heavily on a handful of US studios; shrinking the US side shrinks the UK side with it.
- •Mergers research shows the bought-out company often loses more than half its staff within two years, with replacements paid about 11% less. WBD already employs a significant British workforce that would be exposed to any restructuring.
- •If HBO Max and Paramount+ merge, fewer companies will compete to commission UK productions — independent producers lose leverage and indie films lose screens.
Higher Costs, Less Variety
- •Fold HBO Max and Paramount+ into one service and there's less pressure on price. Subscriptions climb, and households increasingly pay extra for HD and ad-free viewing that used to come as standard.
- •One owner would control the Champions League, much of the Premier League and FA Cup, two tennis grand slams, all three cycling grand tours, and the Olympics through 2032 — leaving Sky as the only real rival. UK households already spend around £68–72 a month on subscriptions; consolidation pushes that higher.
- •Past mergers — Disney–Fox, Discovery–WarnerMedia — cut film slates and shelved finished movies. Expect fewer films reaching UK screens.
Democracy & News at Stake
- •The CNN and CBS news libraries — over four million clips spanning 45 years — are among only a handful in the world. One Trump-aligned owner could limit access, raise prices, or attach editorial strings.
- •CNN and Channel 5 News would answer to the same owner, who reportedly told Trump he would make “sweeping changes” to CNN — a direct hit to UK news plurality.
- •Government-controlled investment funds from autocratic countries in the Middle East would hold 38.5% of the merged company, giving foreign states a major financial interest in a business that shapes UK news.
Two UK Authorities Hold Real Power
The CMA
The Competition and Markets Authority can block the deal outright or force the company to sell off enough of its business to keep genuine rivals alive in each market.
The DCMS Secretary
The government's Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport can step in to protect press freedom and a healthy mix of news voices. The bar for doing so sits deliberately low.
Ready to act? Send your message and share the briefing.
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