Antitrust trial date set for Paramount-WBD deal

(KYMA, CNN) - A federal judge in California has set the date for a trial regarding the merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).

In a court document filed Tuesday, Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin set the trial for March of 2027.

This comes less than a week after Paramount, 12 state attorneys general and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) issued a joint statement, with Paramount asking Judge Martinez-Olguin for the trial to start in November of this year while the attorneys general and WGA asked for the trial to start in April of next year.

The trial comes after both the attorneys general and WGA each filed lawsuits last month to prevent the merger, with the lawsuits accusing Paramount of violating antitrust laws.

As a result of the lawsuits, Paramount agreed to delay the merger until June of next year, or until an antitrust trial takes place.

In response to the judge setting the dates for the trial, a Paramount spokesperson issued the following statement:

"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."

A representative for the California Department of Justice also responded saying, "We appreciate the court's attention to this case and look forward continuing to argue our case and blocking this unlawful merger."

The judge said she expects the trial will last two weeks.