On Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission, led by Brendan Carr, approved the deal, which was seen as the final hurdle to the close after a fraught few months of speculation involving how President Trump may have influenced discussions given his $16 million settlement with the company in his legal battle with CBS News' 60 Minutes.

Paramount had said it expected to close the $8.4 billion merger in the first half of 2025. But the first half of the year came and went, and the merger remained under review by the FCC and its chair Brendan Carr, who had been appointed to the role earlier this year by President Trump.

The merger clears the way for an $8.4 billion sale of some of the most prominent names in entertainment, including CBS, Paramount, and Nickelodeon.