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.

An $8 billion merger between Skydance Media and Paramount Global received regulatory approval Thursday from the Federal Communications Commission in a deal that has raised alarm about free speech and government intrusion into the media.