John Oliver Avoids Comment on Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Amid Last Week Tonight Uncertainty

John Oliver remains silent on Paramount's $110B merger with Warner Bros. Discovery as speculation grows about Last Week Tonight's future.

Editorial Desk

October 5, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — New York, United States — The merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery is set to finalize Tuesday, creating a new entity called Skydance, following U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín’s approval of the $110 billion deal last week.

David Ellison, son of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, will lead the newly formed company. His father contributed $40 billion to support the acquisition, raising questions about the influence of his wealth on the entertainment industry. Meanwhile, John Oliver, host of Last Week Tonight, did not address the merger during Sunday’s episode, despite previous public criticism of the deal.

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Oliver had previously spoken out against the merger in 2025, stating, “Please stay the f*** away from us. You are not my real business daddy, and you never will be.” His contract was recently extended through 2027, just before the merger becomes official. The deal has sparked concerns over potential job cuts and changes to major properties like HBO and CNN, similar to past restructuring at CBS News and the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show after 33 years.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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