Punjab, Oct. 13 -- The Paramount-Warner Bros merger has been approved, and the settlement terms attached to it include something unusual: a binding commitment on how many films the combined studio must release. Thirty a year for the first two years, rising to thirty-two.
The numbers in the settlement
Under the approved terms, the merged company must release 30 films a year - 20 of them wide releases - in years one and two, then 32 a year with 21 wide releases in years three, four and five.
That is a remarkable thing to find in a merger approval. Antitrust remedies normally govern prices, market share or divestitures. A release-count floor governs output, and it exists because the obvious risk of consolidating two major studios is not tha...