Judge sets trial date for Paramount Skydance-Warner Bros. antitrust lawsuit
A federal judge has scheduled a trial for March 2027 regarding an antitrust lawsuit challenging Paramount Skydance’s proposed $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The trial is set to take place from March 2 to March 19 in Oakland, California, amidst competing requests for earlier or later dates from involved parties. The lawsuit, filed last month by multiple states, claims that the merger would unlawfully reduce competition by combining two major film studios and major cable networks, potentially leading to higher prices, lower-quality programming, and less production. paramount denies these allegations and plans to defend the deal, asserting it is lawful and beneficial for the industry and consumers. The merger had previously cleared federal antitrust review,but ongoing litigation poses the primary obstacle to closing the deal,with a court-ordered delay until at least June 2027. paramount’s CEO attributes legal opposition to concerns over his ownership of CNN, rather than market competition.
A federal judge has scheduled a March 2027 trial date in the antitrust lawsuit challenging Paramount Skydance‘s proposed $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, setting the stage for a courtroom battle over what would be one of the largest mergers in Hollywood history.
U.S. District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin ordered the trial to begin March 2 and run through March 19 in federal court in Oakland, California. The schedule falls between competing timelines sought by the parties. Paramount had pushed for a November trial, while California Attorney General Rob Bonta and a coalition of 11 other state attorneys general requested an April 2027 start.
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The lawsuit, filed last month, alleges the merger would unlawfully reduce competition by combining two of Hollywood’s five major film studios and two of the five largest basic cable networks. The states argue the deal would likely lead to higher prices, lower-quality programming, and fewer film and television productions.
Paramount has denied those claims and said it intends to defend the transaction.
“We respect the court’s decision and continue to believe a trial on the merits is the best and most direct way for us to prove what we’ve said from the start — this transaction is lawful, pro-competitive, and raises no antitrust concerns,” a Paramount spokesperson said in a statement. “The lawsuit against us has no basis in fact, economics or antitrust law. We will continue to vigorously defend the transaction and remain committed to closing as soon as possible so its benefits for the creative community and consumers can be realized.”
PARAMOUNT DELAYS WARNER BROS. MERGER AMID LEGAL ROADBLOCKS
The merger has already cleared federal antitrust review under the Trump administration, but the multistate suit has emerged as the most significant legal obstacle to the deal. Earlier this year, Martinez-Olguin temporarily blocked the companies from completing the transaction while litigation proceeds, and the parties later agreed not to close the merger before June 1, 2027, or until the court rules on the states’ claims.
Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison published an op-ed on Tuesday and argued that legal pushback against the deal has been motivated by concerns over his ownership of CNN, not market share, as argued by a dozen Democratic state attorneys general.
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