New block in Paramount-Warner Bros. Deal: Judge set merger trial in March
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Paramount and Warner Bros. deal Photograph: (X)
Paramount and Warner Bros' $110B merger has been halted with a new block after the deal that was challenged by 12 US states has been set for the trial dates in March of next year.
The billion-dollar Paramount and Warner Bros. deal has hit another roadblock. One of the most historic media mergers, it has faced backlash since the announcement. Weeks after 12 states took legal action against the deal, a federal judge has now set a 2027 trial date in the antitrust case.
The trial is now scheduled to begin in March 2027. The date is a major concern for Paramount, which had asked the judge to hold the trial in November. With the delay of over three months, the production house will now have to pay a huge chunk of “ticking fee” to Warner Bros.
Paramount-Warner Bros. deal: Judge set merger trial in March
On Tuesday, Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin said that the trial will begin in March 2027, a much longer delay than Paramount was expecting. The trial will run for a total of 12 court days, beginning on March 2, 2027 and ending on March 19. A pretrial conference will be held ahead of the trial on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2027. The court has also ordered both sides to submit a joint case management statement by Aug. 13, 2026.
Meanwhile, Paramount has asked the judge to schedule its upcoming antitrust trial in November. As of now, the studio has pushed the closer date of the deal.
Paramount CEO David Ellison says politics fueling Warner Bros. merger battle
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After the judge announced the trial dates, Paramount CEO David Ellison, in an opinion published in The New York Times, said that the legal battle over his proposed multibillion-dollar takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery was fueled by politics rather than concerns over market share.
In an email response to the court, Paramount Skydance said, “The court has set a trial date for early March. 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. 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.”
The 12 states, led by California, had sued to stop the merger. Apart from the states, the Writers Guild has also sued to block the US Paramount deal. They asked the court for a date in April 2027.
