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Veteran Lawyer Warns of Looming Battles Over Warner Bros Discovery and Guild Health Plans
31 Oct
Summary
- Pending acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery by Paramount, Skydance, or Comcast
- Concerns over the precarious state of Hollywood guilds' health plans
- Calls for investigation into Nielsen's alleged monopolistic practices
According to veteran entertainment lawyer Ken Ziffren, the future ownership of Warner Bros Discovery remains uncertain as of October 31, 2025. Ziffren hinted that the company could be acquired by Paramount, Skydance, or even Comcast, though the final outcome is still unknown.
Beyond the Warner Bros Discovery saga, Ziffren also expressed concerns about the precarious state of the Hollywood guilds' health plans. He revealed that one of the three major guilds - the WGA, DGA, or SAG-AFTRA - has only a six-month reserve for its heavily subscribed health plan. To keep these "Cadillac" plans solvent, Ziffren believes guild members will have to make sacrifices and give up some of their current perks in exchange for a significant cash injection from the studios.
Ziffren also used his platform to call for a full investigation into Nielsen's alleged monopolistic practices, which he claims are costing production companies through suppressed ad revenue and subscriber fee hikes. The lawyer argued that Nielsen's measurement framework does not accurately reflect reality and that alternative providers like VideoAmp may provide more reliable data.
As the industry continues to navigate new technologies, ownership changes, and evolving audience expectations, Ziffren's insights shed light on the critical challenges facing Hollywood in the coming years.
