Paramount launched a hostile bid for Warner Bros.Discovery this week, just days after Netflix struck a deal to acquire the legacy media company.The rival multi-billion dollar efforts to purchase streaming platform HBO Max and movie studio Warner Bros., among other assets, could upend the media industry and shape content viewed by hundreds of millions of people.For now, the outcome remains highly uncertain.
Any acquisition of Warner Bros.Discovery would likely be reviewed by the Trump administration, which could move to block a proposed merger over anti-monopoly concerns, according to antitrust experts from Vanderbilt University, the University of Tennessee and the Cardozo Law School.Paramount launches hostile bid for Warner Bros.
DiscoveryThe government approval process could take anywhere from several months to more than a year, the experts said.The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.Here's what to know about the government hurdles faced by a potential blockbuster deal to acquire Warner Bros:What government hurdles await a bid from Netflix or Paramount?Streaming giant Netflix appeared to win the bidding war for Warner Bros.Discovery last week, when the two firms announced a merger.
Within days, however, Paramount launched a hostile bid for Warner Bros.Discovery, meaning Paramount plans to appeal to shareholders in an effort to overcome the wishes of management.The $108 billion bid from Paramount encompasses the HBO Max streaming service, the Warner Bros.
film production company and cable channels such as CNN.Netflix established its agreement with Warner Bros.
Discovery at a lower price of $83 billion, though the Netflix offer excluded the cable channels.Ultimately, the prevailing bid for Warner Bros.Discovery -- whether from Paramount or Netflix -- will likely face scrutiny from the Trump administration that could doom the proposal if agency officials consider the newly created company in violation of anti-monop...