During a livestream of UFC Freedom 250, which marked President Trump’s 80th birthday and the nation’s semiquincentennial, viewers missed an advertisement critiquing Paramount’s $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. The ad was rejected by Paramount, according to the nonprofit advocacy group Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF).

The 30-second spot featured President Trump calling journalists ‘the enemy of the people’ and suggested that Paramount chairman David Ellison could force CNN to soften its reporting on the president. It highlighted a New York Times story about Ellison hosting a private party for Trump as the deal was being reviewed, and mentioned Scott Pelley’s firing from 60 Minutes over changes at CBS News under Ellison's leadership.

FPF warned that if the merger goes through, CNN journalists could face similar corporate mandates. The ad concluded with a call to action, directing viewers to send letters to congressional representatives demanding an investigation into ‘Trump-Paramount corruption.’

Ellison’s appearance at the UFC event, where Paramount secured exclusive broadcast rights in a seven-year, $7.7 billion deal, seemed more like a victory lap than a sporting spectacle. However, state attorneys general can still sue to block the deal, with crucial midterm elections on the horizon.