A federal judge has scheduled a trial date for March 2 to March 19, 2027, in the antitrust lawsuit regarding Paramount Skydance's proposed $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. U.S. District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin set the trial to take place in federal court in Oakland, California, balancing the timelines proposed by the involved parties. Paramount sought a November trial date, while California Attorney General Rob Bonta and a coalition of 11 other state attorneys general requested an April 2027 start.
The lawsuit, filed last month, claims that the merger would unlawfully reduce competition by merging two major film studios and two of the largest basic cable networks. The states argue that the deal could lead to higher prices, lower-quality programming, and fewer productions in film and television.
Paramount has denied these allegations and plans to defend the transaction. A spokesperson for Paramount stated, "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 merger has previously cleared federal antitrust review under the Trump administration, but the multistate lawsuit represents a significant legal challenge. Earlier this year, Martinez-Olguin temporarily blocked the companies from completing the transaction while litigation continues, and the parties agreed not to close the merger before June 1, 2027, or until the court rules on the states’ claims. Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison has suggested that the legal opposition is influenced by concerns over his ownership of CNN rather than market share.