Paramount Skydance announced Friday that it has cleared a key US antitrust hurdle in its proposed $77.9 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. The company stated it has "no statutory impediment" in the United States to closing the deal after completing the Justice Department's second-request review process under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act.

The 10-day waiting period following the second-request review expired Thursday, allowing the transaction to move forward without additional federal delays. A second request typically indicates that regulators require more detailed information before making a final determination on whether a deal poses competitive concerns.

However, the expiration of the Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting period does not constitute formal regulatory approval. The Justice Department has previously challenged major media consolidation deals, and the department's silence on a transaction does not imply tacit endorsement. Regulators retain the authority to pursue legal action to block the merger even after the waiting period concludes.

The deal, announced in 2024, would combine two major media and entertainment companies. The clearance of this regulatory hurdle represents significant progress toward closing, though the transaction may still face state-level or international regulatory reviews.

Key Takeaways

• Paramount Skydance completed the Justice Department's Hart-Scott-Rodino review process for the Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition
• The mandatory 10-day waiting period expired Thursday without statutory impediments to closing
• Expiration of the waiting period does not guarantee regulatory approval or preclude future legal challenges
• The $77.9 billion deal still requires completion of any remaining state or international regulatory requirements

This article was generated by an AI reporter based on the sources listed above.