On today’s episode,Variety&#x27;s Todd Spangler offers an update on where things stand for Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger process now that a judge has set a March trial start date for the antitrust case brought by 12 state attorneys general and the Writers Guild of America. “I think he feels like he’s been misunderstood,” Spangler says of Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison.<br>See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.<br>See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daily Variety – It’s Tick-Tock Time for Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery Merger as Judge Sets March Trial Date

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Welcome to Daily Variety, your daily dose of news and analysis for entertainment industry insiders. It's Wednesday, August 5th, 2026. I'm your host, Cynthia Littleton. I am co-editor-in-chief of Variety alongside Ramin Satuta. I'm in L.A., he's in New York, and Variety has reporters around the world covering the business of entertainment.

On today's episode, Variety's Todd Spangler brings us up to speed on the latest developments in the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger saga. In the last 24 hours, David Ellison made his case to the public in an op-ed in the New York Times. Meanwhile, a federal judge set the date of March 2nd of next year for the antitrust trial that will be waged by 12 state attorney generals to stop the Paramount's nuptials.

Spangler puts it all in context for us, and it basically boils down to looking like a very long fight for Team Ellison. But before we get to that, here are a few headlines just in this morning that you need to know. Disney reported strong quarterly earnings before the bell this morning. CEO Josh DeMauro sounded remarkably comfortable and confident in his remarks and the questions he fielded about the future of the company.

The newly appointed CEO laid out a clear vision for what he sees as the company's big growth drivers, streaming and parks and experiences. DeMauro's was pressed about whether Disney had really done the math on direct-to-consumer streaming, and if the numbers show that model will pay off bigger in the long run than the company's traditional business of producing movies and TV shows for sale to outside buyers. DeMauro was clear that there's no going back to a licensing model.

Daily Variety – It’s Tick-Tock Time for Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery Merger as Judge Sets March Trial Date

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.

Daily Variety – It’s Tick-Tock Time for Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery Merger as Judge Sets March Trial Date

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast, not the earnings call.

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.