Paramount considers selling CNN to address merger antitrust lawsuit

Paramount Skydance is reportedly considering the sale of its CNN news network as part of an effort to resolve a major antitrust lawsuit challenging its proposed $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. The potential sale was disclosed by Paramount's chief legal officer, Makan Delrahim, on August 12, 2026, the same day a coalition of 12 states, led by California, filed a lawsuit to block the deal.

Delrahim, speaking at a conference in California, stated that a sale of CNN was "on the table" as an option to address concerns. He emphasized the company's willingness to work with both political parties to advance the merger. The announcement comes as Paramount's CEO, David Ellison, faces scrutiny over his promises to preserve CNN's editorial independence if the merger proceeds. Critics point to recent changes at CBS News, which Paramount took control of nearly a year ago, as evidence of a potential rightward editorial shift under Ellison's leadership.

However, legal experts and opponents of the merger argue that selling CNN would not resolve the core antitrust issues at the heart of the lawsuit. The suit, filed by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and 11 other state...