Paramount Pitches November WBD Antitrust Trial; States & WGA Want April

Key Points:

• Paramount requests a November 2026 trial start for the antitrust lawsuit over its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), citing sufficient time for discovery and preparation, while the state attorneys general (AGs) and Writers Guild of America (WGA) seek an April 2027 start to allow for more extensive discovery.
• The trial timing is critical, as Paramount faces daily penalties of about $7 million after September 30 if the merger does not close, and the company aims to complete the deal by June 1, 2027, or shortly after legal issues are resolved.
• The state AGs, led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, argue that more discovery is necessary to evaluate the merger’s impact on competition, including testing Paramount’s claims of merger synergies and reviewing post-merger integration plans, and contend that an April trial is reasonable and faster than most merger cases.
• Paramount contends that the states already have extensive discovery materials, including over two million documents, and that delaying the trial would harm consumers and industry stability by prolonging uncertainty in the creative community.
• The federal judge, Araceli Martinez-Olguin, will decide the trial schedule, with both sides emphasizing the importance of a timely resolution to balance thorough review and minimizing harm to the industry and consumers.