Cinema United, the film exhibitors' trade association that has opposed the Paramount-Warner Bros Discovery merger throughout, has welcomed the settlement reached by state attorneys general. The consent decree includes provisions for increased film production over five years, guaranteed theatrical exclusivity and wide distribution requirements, restrictions on cost increases, and continued access to studio film catalogues at reasonable rates. This settlement matters significantly as cinemas have been recovering from pandemic closures and production strikes; exhibitors feared the merger would concentrate control of films and distribution in one powerful entity, disadvantaging theatre owners across the country.

The settlement requires Paramount to produce films for five years, with 20 of 30 releases going to wide distribution (2,000+ screens) in the first two years, and 21 of 32 thereafter. Paramount has agreed to a 45-day theatrical exclusivity window before films move to streaming platforms. Cinema United had previously warned that the merger would concentrate approximately 40 per cent of the box office in a single studio's hands; the group cited the Disney-Fox merger as a cautionary precedent, which resulted in a $1 billion decline in box office revenue between 2016 and 2025, representing a 70 per cent drop.