With this week’s FCC approval, the merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media is expected to be completed in the coming weeks at a value of $8 billion. The question for the new company is whether the psychic cost is much higher.

Plus, Hulk Hogan, the pro wrestler who brought the sport to new heights of mainstream popularity, died at the age of 71.

The Federal Communications Commission has approved the $8 billion merger of Paramount Global and Skydance Media, claiming “significant changes,” are coming to the CBS owner.

Upon the deal’s closing, Skydance and its financial partners are set inject $1.5 billion in cash into Paramount. However, that’s intended to go toward reducing Paramount’s long-term debt ($14.16 billion as of Q1 of 2025) to help stabilize its balance sheet.

Shares of Paramount are set to open higher after the FCC approval its merger but amid ongoing uncertainty about its strategic plans under Skydance Media.

With the FCC having cleared the Skydance Media-Paramount merger and the deal set to close in a matter of weeks, Paramount Global co-CEO Chris McCarthy will leave the media conglomerate, a company source confirmed to Variety.

Chairman Brendan Carr thinks his agency should strive to ensure that news coverage is fair and balanced—a role precluded by the First Amendment.

"New York Times" White House correspondent Peter Baker on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" expressed his displeasure with the Trump administration for approving the Skydance-Paramount merger. JOE SCARBOROUGH, HOST: It took a while.