Comedian John Oliver has never shied away from using his voice to shed light on several pressing issues in the country. And he does that in his own unique style. Recently, he once again used his platform to draw attention to a topic he believes could pose a serious threat in the future. 

Speaking of how media could be at risk of being controlled, he took an aim at media and entertainment company Paramount.

During the latest episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, the comedian spoke about Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and their supporters’ acquisition of media and TV stations, which was seemingly followed by less criticism of the government. Following this, he went on to comment on Paramount. He joked about not having nightmares about such a situation as an image of Paramount Skydance appeared on screen.

“A far-right leader’s friends and allies just buying up all the media outlets in the country and turning them into conservative sycophants — can you imagine that? I sure can’t,” he joked about it. “That’s definitely not something I’ve had recurring nightmares about for the past month!”

Oliver further added that while the U.S. has strong checks and balances, people should stay alert to warning signs similar to what happened under Viktor Orbán in Hungary. As for Paramount Skydance, their $111 billion merger deal with Warner Bros. Discovery will be moving towards the next crucial step during the shareholders' meeting on April 23. If approved, the company will get closer to having control over Warner Bros.’s movie and TV studios, DC, CNN, TBS, TNT, and Discovery+.

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Following this, the new combined company will also be under the pressure to fix its one concerning category.

The possible merger between Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery is indeed exciting. But the newly combined company must bridge one noticeable gap in animation. While both studios have strong franchises, they have not kept up with animation giants like Disney and Universal Pictures. 

Over the past decade, their animated output has been surprisingly low compared to competitors. And it is important since family-friendly animated films are quietly dominating the box office. In the last decade, Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery have each released only eight animated films, earning $1.1 billion and  $1.3 billion, respectively.

In contrast, Disney, Universal Pictures, and Sony Pictures released far more films and earned higher revenue, showing the gap in their animation category. So, this particular category will be crucial in the game for Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery. However, before any competition, the fate of the merger will be decided, which is set for April 23. 

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