Former FCC Commissioner and Cooley LLP Partner Rob McDowell warned on Thursday that Paramount Global will be a “melting ice cube” if its pending $8 billion merger with Skydance Media fails to close.

The media giant’s executives have said that the deal, which is currently awaiting regulatory approval from the FCC due a required transfer of broadcast licenses, is expected to close in the first half of 2025. But LightShed Partners analyst Rich Greenfield recently said he is “increasingly concerned” the deal could collapse as Paramount is “paralyzed by legal fears” surrounding President Donald Trump’s $20 billion lawsuit against CBS and “60 Minutes” over an Oct. 7 interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris.

Settlement talks between Paramount and Trump have prompted warnings from both

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