Pluto TV Protected for Five Years
Under the deal resolving the antitrust case brought by state attorneys general regarding the planned Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery combination, Paramount is required to maintain Pluto TV, or a comparable free ad-supported streaming offering, for a period of five years. That requirement is one of the terms contained in the settlement.[S1][S2]
Cable Divestitures and Negotiation Rules
Should Paramount fail to conduct carriage talks for the Paramount and Warner Bros. basic cable networks at arm's length, the agreement specifies the cable properties it would be forced to sell off. Named on that list are BET together with its sub-channels, VH1, and Comedy Central. The company's flagship channels, MTV and Nickelodeon, would not be affected.[S1]
Editorial Independence and Industry Impact
Television appeared to be somewhat of an afterthought in the settlement. During a Monday morning press conference, California Attorney General Rob Bonta spent over six minutes discussing agreed-upon terms for film production, while dedicating only two lines to television. One of those lines addressed the establishment of a news editorial independence board to support the continued editorial independence of CBS News and CNN.[S1]
