Business & Finance
Aerial banner targeting David Ellison flies over Paramount lot amid merger protests
Protesters gathered outside the studio lot as an airplane towed a derogatory banner referencing the CEO's ties to Donald Trump.
The short version
- An airplane towed a banner insulting Paramount CEO David Ellison over the company's Hollywood lot during demonstrations opposing the proposed merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.
- Advocacy groups rallied at the studio gates to voice support for a multistate antitrust lawsuit that has held up the $111 billion deal.
- The acquisition faces a regulatory trial scheduled for March 2027, while Paramount faces a $7 million daily fee starting October 1 if the transaction remains unclosed.
- It remains unknown who funded or organized the aerial banner display.
Key facts
- An airplane flew over the Paramount Pictures lot in Hollywood towing a banner that read 'Ellison Is Trump’s B!tch!'.[Variety]
- The aerial stunt occurred during demonstrations by community and advocacy groups, including the Block the Merger coalition, protesting the $111 billion Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery transaction.[Variety]
- The merger is contested in a 12-state antitrust lawsuit led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, with a trial scheduled for March 2027 unless resolved beforehand.[Variety]
- Paramount faces a ticking fee of $7 million per day payable to Warner Bros. Discovery investors starting October 1 if the transaction does not close.[Variety]
- A shareholder lawsuit alleged that David and Larry Ellison negotiated an improper arrangement involving CNN to obtain regulatory approval, a claim that Paramount and Ellison have denied.[Variety]
What remains uncertain
- The identity of the individual or organization responsible for commissioning the airplane banner remains unconfirmed, with the Block the Merger campaign denying involvement.[Variety]