A federal judge has set an antitrust trial for March 2027 over Paramount Skydance's proposed merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, a schedule that favors the state attorneys general and the Writers Guild of America who sued to block the deal. U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín ordered the trial to begin March 2.
Paramount Skydance, which reported second-quarter earnings this week, said it remains confident the merger will close. The company posted strong streaming gains but continued declines in linear television and difficult comparisons in its theatrical business, and it raised its full-year profit guidance.
The trial start date is roughly five months after Paramount begins paying a ticking fee of about $7 million per day to Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders, a provision intended to push the deal to completion. The schedule is a blow to the team of David Ellison, Paramount Skydance's leader.
Paramount Skydance was formed nearly a year ago when Skydance acquired Paramount.