John Oliver took aim at his new bosses on Sunday’s episode of Last Week Tonight, calling out Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.
“We might be getting a new business daddy!” Oliver, 48, said on his late-night show, which airs on HBO, a part of the WBD family.
John Oliver’s HBO show won two Primetime Emmy Awards in 2025. Getty Images/Emma McIntyre
“Yeah, not great news,” he went on to say. “In fact, if I may quote anyone who’s ever accidentally sat on their Roku remote, ‘I’m in Paramount now…how the f— do I get out of here?’”
Even after starting a segment on body cams, Oliver managed to roast Paramount. “There’s no point in the police just stacking up thousands of hours of footage that no one’s ever going to see,” he said. “Especially given that we all know that that is Paramount+’s job.”
“Hey, what’re they gonna do?” he joked. “Take us over and immediately cancel us? I’m genuinely asking.”
Paramount Skydance is poised to take control of CNN and HBO. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Billionaires Larry and David Ellison won the bidding war against Netflix to acquire WBD last week. Their company, Paramount Skydance, upped its bid from $30 per share to $31 per share, winning over the media conglomerate.
David Ellison, who was spotted at President Trump’s State of the Union address, issued a statement praising the acquisition, saying, “From the very beginning, our pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery has been guided by a clear purpose: to honor the legacy of two iconic companies while accelerating our vision of building a next-generation media and entertainment company.”
“By bringing together these world-class studios, our complementary streaming platforms, and the extraordinary talent behind them, we will create even greater value for audiences, partners and shareholders — and we couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead,” he concluded.
Should the $110 billion-deal be completed, Warner’s extensive library of entertainment will merge with that of Paramount’s. The WBD family includes HBO, HBO Max, CNN, and the Discovery Channel.
News of the deal has already caused ripples through the media ecosystem. CNN staffers are reportedly panicked and “devastated” by the potential ramifications of Paramount buying their parent company, with many fearing the MAGA-aligned billionaires will steer the network toward Trump-friendly coverage like they did with CBS. CNN’s Chief Media Analyst Brian Stelter questioned the future of the company, writing, “CNN employees and viewers have serious concerns about whether Paramount CEO David Ellison will uphold the news network’s editorial independence amid severe political turbulence.”
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