--- title: "Hollywood billionaire Ellison pledges to make more British TV" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/295147553.md" description: "Paramount CEO David Ellison pledged increased investment in British TV content to secure approval for the $110bn Paramount-Warner Bros merger. Facing intervention threats from UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy over media plurality concerns, Paramount committed to prioritizing UK-originated content on Channel 5 and maintaining editorial independence. These guarantees helped clear regulatory hurdles with Ofcom and the CMA, allowing the deal to proceed despite ongoing legal challenges from US states." datetime: "2026-08-06T15:49:20.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/295147553.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/295147553.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/295147553.md) --- # Hollywood billionaire Ellison pledges to make more British TV Hollywood billionaire David Ellison has pledged to make more British TV to head off a Labour challenge to the Paramount-Warner Bros merger. Mr Ellison, who leads Paramount, has vowed to boost investment in original UK shows on Channel 5 after Lisa Nandy, the Culture Secretary, threatened to intervene in the $110bn (£83bn) deal because of its effect on media plurality. As part of legally binding commitments to win approval, Paramount, which owns Channel 5, said new commissions on the channel would “prioritise UK-originated content, including original drama, factual and entertainment programming”. It has also promised to ensure Channel 5 News maintains its “editorial independence” and to broadcast at least 600 hours of kids TV per year through its Milkshake! shows. The move meant the Department for Culture, Media and Sport as well as the UK competition watchdog were able to approve the merger. The Hollywood tie-up is poised to combine Paramount, which also owns CBS News as well as Nickelodeon and Comedy Central, with Warner’s slate of properties including CNN, TNT Sports and Cartoon Network. The deal will also affect 4,000 Warner Bros staff in the UK. The Hollywood giant has made several major movies in its Leavesden studios in Hertfordshire in recent years, including Barbie and Wonka. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) cleared the deal after investigating concerns about the impact of reducing the number of major Hollywood studios from five to four. A CMA spokesman said it had cleared the blockbuster merger “as it does not raise competition concerns in the UK”. They added that its investigation found that following the deal, Paramount “will continue to face sufficient competition” across TV and film production as well as streaming services. Separately, Ms Nandy had written to Paramount and Warner Bros just weeks ago saying she was “minded to intervene” in the merger between the two Hollywood giants. Ms Nandy’s decision not to intervene in the merger between the two Hollywood film studios means that Ofcom, the regulator, will not conduct a formal public interest investigation into the deal. The Culture Secretary will also meet the Hollywood giant in the coming weeks to secure pledges about the impact of the mega-merger deal on Britain’s wider creative industry. A statement from the department said that the set of guarantees from Paramount will “help safeguard the continued availability of a diverse range of broadcasting and on-demand services in the UK”. It marks a boost for the merger which has become bogged down in recent months by a legal challenge from 12 American states. The US department of justice has already cleared the deal, although it still faces state opposition and clearance from the American communications regulator. Mr Ellison, a supporter of Donald Trump and the son of the tech billionaire Larry Ellison, has also received pushback on the deal from staff at CNN and Hollywood stars such as Jane Fonda and Ben Stiller. Paramount has said it expects the deal to be completed by the end of September. However, there are fears that the legal challenge will hold up the merger. A month-long delay could become very costly for Paramount. The company previously pledged to start paying Warner Bros’ shareholders an added ticking-fee compensation amounting to about $7m (£5.2m) per day if the deal wasn’t closed by Sept 30. Ofcom, Paramount and Warner Bros were contacted for comment. ### Related Stocks - [PARAA.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/PARAA.US.md) - [PARA.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/PARA.US.md) - [WBD.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/WBD.US.md) ## Related News & Research - [Paramount seeks $1.88 billion bond from state AGs to cover costs of WBD merger delay](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296137299.md) - [Paramount Skydance clears regulatory conditions for Warner Bros. 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