Ari Emanuel calls state AG lawsuit blocking $110 billion Paramount–WBD merger "trash" in Wall Street Journal op-ed

Ari Emanuel, CEO of TKO Group, defended the proposed $110 billion Paramount acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery in a Wall Street Journal op-ed published July 28, 2026, calling the antitrust suit by 12 state attorneys general "trash." Emanuel argued WBD ended 2025 with $29 billion in net debt and declining revenue, framing the merger as survival, not consolidation. Paramount has agreed to pause the deal, potentially pushing closing into 2027. Emanuel is a friend and business associate of David Ellison, whose Skydance Media merged with Paramount.