A merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery would eliminate roughly 4,500 direct film and television jobs in Los Angeles County and 10,360 total positions once support industries are counted, according to a county economic impact report ordered by the Board of Supervisors and delivered earlier this year.
The Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity analysis projects that completing the deal would put $4.06 billion in overall business activity at risk, along with $1.26 billion in workers' wages, $2.78 billion in broader economic value, and $547 million in tax revenue. Of that tax figure, $78.6 million would otherwise have gone to local governments.
The job losses extend well beyond direct studio employment. The report accounts for prop houses, transportation companies, printers, and the wider ripple effect of reduced local spending, which together push the total to 10,360 positions. The county frames the figures as job-years at risk, reflecting the cumulative economic damage of lost production work.
«This report confirms what we feared: 4,500 direct film and television jobs, more than 10,000 total job-years, and $4.06 billion in business output are at risk,» said Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath. «Los Angeles has already lost too many jobs, too much production, and too many people who make this industry possible. We cannot afford to lose another generation of Hollywood workers. We will fight for their livelihoods and the future of our signature industry.»
The report was commissioned by the Board of Supervisors as part of the county's review of the merger's local consequences. It arrives as Los Angeles has struggled with a prolonged slowdown in production, a trend that has already thinned the ranks of crew members, vendors, and small businesses that depend on film and television shoots.
Paramount has pledged to spend an additional $300 million annually on domestic U.S. film and television productions, totaling $1.5 billion over five years, as part of the agreement. The county's projections suggest those commitments would not offset the scale of the job losses, particularly in support sectors that rely on a steady volume of local production rather than a single studio's spending pledge.
The figures also raise questions about the merger's effect on the region's tax base. The $547 million in tax revenue at risk includes $78.6 million for local governments, which fund services that range from public safety to infrastructure. A decline in production activity would compound budget pressures already facing the county.
For workers in the industry, the report quantifies what many have described as an existential threat. The 4,500 direct jobs represent people employed by the studios themselves, while the additional 5,860 positions reflect the ecosystem of prop houses, trucking firms, caterers, equipment rental companies, and other businesses that serve productions.
The Board of Supervisors has signaled it will use the report to press for conditions or opposition to the merger. Horvath's statement indicates the county intends to fight for the livelihoods of Hollywood workers and the future of what she called the region's signature industry.
The merger still requires regulatory approval, and the county's findings are likely to feature in that review. The report's authors estimate the economic impact in business activity, wages, and tax revenue, providing a detailed accounting of what Los Angeles stands to lose if the deal closes without mitigation.
Industry observers note that the projected losses come at a moment when production in Los Angeles has already declined, making the merger's potential effect more severe for a workforce with fewer alternative opportunities. The county's analysis does not speculate on where displaced workers might find new jobs or how quickly the industry could absorb them.
The report's release has renewed debate over consolidation in entertainment and its consequences for local economies. For now, the numbers stand as the county's official estimate of the stakes: thousands of jobs, billions in output, and a significant share of local tax revenue tied to the fate of a single corporate transaction.