Cinema owners drop opposition to Paramount-Warner Bros deal after film guarantees

America's cinema owners have dropped their fight against the Paramount takeover of Warner Bros.

Cinema United, the group that speaks for cinemas across the United States, said on 22 September 2026 that it supported the court-approved settlement clearing the way for the $110 billion deal, according to Deadline. The value of the Paramount Skydance acquisition was reported by Reuters.

Michael O'Leary, President and CEO of Cinema United, commended four state attorneys general for their work in reaching the settlement. The group had opposed a Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition from the outset.

The promises matter to theatres. O'Leary said the consent decree, a court order enforcing a settlement, includes increased film production for five years, meaningful theatrical exclusivity and wide distribution, prohibitions on cost increases, and continued access to the Paramount and Warner Bros. catalogues.

The numbers are specific. Under the settlement, 20 of 30 films must go into wide distribution in the first two years. In years three to five, 21 of 32 films must go wide. Wide means big. Under the decree, wide release is defined as 2,000 screens.

There are penalties attached. Any shortfall carries a $30 million penalty per film, as reported by Reuters. Paramount also agreed to a $300 million annual increase in domestic production spending, meaning spending in the United States and Canada, as reported by The Daily Record.

Cinema United had warned in a January statement to a U.S. House committee that a Paramount and Warner Bros. merger would consolidate as much as 40% of the box office in one studio. The group was founded in 1948 and says it counts more than 31,000 movie screens in all 50 states among its members, plus more than 30,000 screens in 80 countries worldwide. Its membership runs from the largest chains to one-screen theatres.

The wider deal has moved fast. Paramount and Warner Bros. entered into an agreement on 27 February 2026 under which Paramount will acquire Warner Bros. upon closing. Paramount proposed to pay $30.00 per share in cash, with a $2.8 billion termination fee payable by Warner Bros. if the deal breaks apart.

Paramount Skydance said it had reached a settlement with California and other states that sued to block the merger. The settlement includes a $3 million payment to a bipartisan national attorneys general fund for antitrust enforcement, and the creation of independent editorial boards for CNN and CBS. Paramount also agreed to pay Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders $7 million a day if its acquisition does not close by 1 October, according to The New York Times.

For fans, this means the fight has shifted from whether the merger happens to how many films reach cinemas. The settlement sets minimum film counts, screen counts and spending levels. Theatres will be watching the release calendar to see those titles land.