Euro Cinema Body UNIC Says EU Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery Deal Approval Conditions “Should Have Gone Further”

The European cinema exhibitors’ body UNIC has criticised the European Commission’s approval of Paramount Skydance’s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, saying the remedies imposed do not go far enough. It welcomed the requirement for Paramount to sell its stake in United International Pictures, but argued that the decision takes too narrow a view of the deal’s potential effect on competition and cinema distribution.

The Commission has barred Paramount and Universal from certain joint film-distribution arrangements in the European Economic Area for ten years, covering 19 countries where UIP operates. UNIC said safeguards should also cover distribution outside those territories and address theatrical release windows, film diversity, production pipelines, contractual practices and access to back catalogues.