NEW YORK: The European Union approved Paramount’s $81 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery this week, effectively clearing another regulatory hurdle for a mega merger that could vastly reshape the entertainment and media landscape worldwide. But the greenlight comes with certain conditions. The European Commission — which serves as the EU’s antitrust enforcer — said that even with a Paramount-Warner combo, enough competitors would exist across markets like film production and streaming in its 27-nation bloc.

A federal judge paused the merger, ruling states had raised “serious questions” about antitrust law.

European regulators signed off on Paramount's proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.