Oregon AG seeks 60-day delay of Paramount-Warner merger

The Oregon Attorney General has asked a state court to block the proposed $111 billion merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery for 60 days, alleging the company has evaded a state investigation into whether the deal violates antitrust laws. The legal motion, filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court, also seeks to compel Paramount to turn over documents related to its lobbying of federal officials.

A hearing on the motion is scheduled for Monday, July 13, 2026. The move represents the first formal legal action by a state to delay the landmark media consolidation, which has already received clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division. Federal regulators concluded last month that the transaction was not likely to harm competition or consumers.

In his court filing, Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield stated his office is investigating whether Paramount's lobbying activities improperly influenced the federal approval process. The motion suggests the DOJ's clearance could have been the "product of a corrupt bargain," noting that the department issued an unusual public statement explaining why it chose not to challenge the merger. The state...