A U.S. federal judge has set a March 2027 trial date for the antitrust challenges to Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s parent company. The trial timeline is another setback for Paramount, which had wanted to complete the merger this summer. Facing a pair of antitrust lawsuits, Paramount agreed to hold off until a trial takes place. In a court filing last week, Paramount pushed to have the trial in November; a coalition of state attorneys general challenging the merger proposed an April start date. On Tuesday, Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin said the trial will begin March 2 and run for 12 court days. The March date falls between the competing proposals, leaving the merger in limbo for at least seven more months. Paramount has argued that a lengthy delay threatens the deal, while the state attorneys general and the Writers Guild of America — which filed a similar antitrust suit — say the merger should not close until a court properly weighs their claims. The delay could prove costly for Paramount. Under the merger agreement, the company must pay WBD shareholders roughly US$7 million for every day after Sept. 30 that the deal has not closed. That means a March trial date could leave Paramount owing well over $1 billion in so-called “ticking fees” before a judge ever rules. This is a developing story and will be updated. By Brian Stelter, CNN
