SDCC ’25: FCC approves Paramount & Skydance merger amid consumer protests

Paramount and Skydance‘s merger has been approved by the FCC, transferring all the network’s broadcast licenses to the latter and concluding the $8 billion deal. With David Ellison now in charge of CBS, the film studio, and the streaming service Paramount+, the deal also includes cable channels such as MTV, Comedy Central, and Nickelodeon.

While those in charge are pushing the potential benefits of the deal to the public, such as how Skydance will repair Paramount’s financial troubles, enhance services to customers, and improve recommendation engines with AI, the biggest concern lies in Skydance’s very public commitment to eliminating all diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives (DEI) at the company. They also plan to hire an ombudsman at CBS News to monitor for media bias.

According to a statement in The Hollywood Reporter, “the transfer was approved by a 2-1 vote. In a dissent, Anna M. Gomez, a Democratic commissioner on the FCC, said the agency ‘used its vast power to pressure Paramount to broker a private legal settlement and further erode press freedom.'” 

Gomez added, “Even more alarming, it is now imposing never-before-seen controls over newsroom decisions and editorial judgment, in direct violation of the First Amendment and the law.”

Skydance previously said in letters to the FCC that there will be a focus on “addressing concerns about media bias” and “to confirm the elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives that were in place at Paramount and to confirm our commitments moving forward.”

The letters continue, “Skydance, for its part, does not have DEI programs in place today and will not establish such initiatives. The company is committed to ensuring that its storytelling reflects the many audiences and communities it serves in a manner that complies with non-discrimination requirements and other applicable laws.”

Protestors outside of San Diego Comic Con 2025

Outside the convention center at San Diego Comic-Con 2025, protestors showed their concerns for the merger and what it will mean for the future of diversity, the media, and more. Anti-Paramount sentiment has grown exponentially since the abrupt cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at CBS, allegedly due to financial constraints. However, the timing of the cancellation comes awfully close to the host’s criticism of a $16 million settlement between Paramount and President Trump over a lawsuit concerning an October 2024 interview on 60 Minutes with Kamala Harris, per Politico.

Stephen Colbert courtesy of Getty Images

And for those following the Israel-Palestine conflict, Paramount notably supported Israel following the 2023 Hamas attack, donating $1 million in humanitarian aid to Israel. Some protestors outside of the San Diego Convention Center on Thursday held a sign criticizing Paramount’s support of Israel over Palestine.

Whatever the narrative being spun by Skydance and Paramount about this merger, it’s clear that a sizeable portion of its consumer base isn’t happy about it. How that will affect business moving forward remains to be seen.