Hollywood studio Paramount has committed to increasing its investment in British television programming as part of efforts to secure regulatory approval for its $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. The deal, which would merge two of the world’s largest entertainment companies, faced scrutiny from the UK government and competition authorities over concerns about media plurality and industry competition.

David Ellison, the chief executive of Paramount, which owns Channel 5 in the UK, pledged to enhance the channel’s output of original British content. This includes new commissions spanning drama, factual programming, and entertainment, with an emphasis on UK-originated productions. Paramount has also agreed to maintain the editorial independence of Channel 5 News and to broadcast a minimum of 600 hours of children’s programming annually.

The commitments were made following interventions by UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, who had flagged potential challenges to the merger on the grounds that it could reduce diversity in the British media landscape. The legally binding promises were instrumental in enabling both the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to give the merger the green light.

The combined entity will bring together Paramount’s assets—which include CBS News, Nickelodeon, and Comedy Central—with Warner Bros’ portfolio, featuring CNN, TNT Sports, and Cartoon Network. The merger will impact approximately 4,000 Warner Bros employees based in the UK.

The CMA had previously conducted a review to assess whether the reduction in the number of major Hollywood studios from five to four might hinder competition within the UK market. A spokesman for the CMA stated that the deal was approved because it does not present competition concerns in the UK. Officials from Ofcom, as well as representatives from Paramount and Warner Bros, were approached for comment but had yet to respond.

The approval marks a significant consolidation in the global entertainment sector, reflecting broader industry trends toward large-scale mergers and acquisitions amid evolving media consumption patterns.