EU Probes $110B Paramount Skydance Warner Deal Over $24B Gulf Financing
PSKY•Paramount Skydance’s $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery faces European Union Foreign Subsidies Regulation scrutiny, with regulators targeting roughly $24 billion of Middle East equity finance from Saudi PIF, Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi’s L’Imad Holding. The EU set an initial July 14 deadline for its review.
1. EU Opens Foreign Subsidies Probe
The European Commission launched an initial review under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation of Paramount Skydance’s $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, setting a July 14 deadline alongside an overlapping standard merger control review due July 7.
2. Gulf Funds Provide $24B Equity Finance
A consortium of sovereign investors led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi’s L’Imad Holding has committed about $24 billion in equity to support the bid.
3. Potential Timeline and Remedies
Regulators could extend the probe or require concessions if state-backed financing is deemed to distort competition, risking delays or conditions before Paramount finalizes the deal.
