John Oliver Shrugs Off Merger Talk, Says Last Week Tonight Will Stay the Course

John Oliver has made it clear he isn’t losing sleep over Hollywood merger rumors — even when they could affect his own show.

Speaking on What Now?, hosted by Trevor Noah, Oliver said he views mergers as a necessary evil at best.

“I think mergers are generally bad,” Oliver said, explaining that companies are usually forced to choose “the least bad option.”

Merger Speculation and Legal Hurdles

The conversation touched on speculation involving Netflix and Paramount as possible suitors in a potential deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of HBO and Last Week Tonight.

Oliver suggested that any major merger would face serious legal scrutiny.

“It’s going to get tied up in courts,” he said, noting that such deals are difficult to justify under current regulations. Still, he acknowledged that legal challenges don’t always stop mergers from eventually moving forward.

No Plans to Change the Show

Despite the uncertainty, Oliver said he isn’t worried about the future of Last Week Tonight.

“It feels like we’re just going to do what we do,” he said, adding that the show has operated with a clear voice and attitude for long enough that it won’t suddenly change direction.

Oliver emphasized that his approach is to act as if nothing is going to happen at all.

“We’re not going to change,” he said. “You can’t really reason with us.”

Business Noise, Same Sharp Comedy

In short, Oliver’s message was simple: corporate maneuvering may continue behind the scenes, but the satirical news show will remain aggressive, confident, and unapologetically itself.

As Oliver put it, worrying too much about decisions he can’t control is pointless — especially when the show plans to keep doing exactly what it’s always done.