A US court will hold a two-day settlement conference in late October in the antitrust case surrounding Paramount's proposed merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, with a magistrate judge overseeing talks aimed at potentially averting a trial set for March in Oakland. The move is a standard procedural step rather than a signal that a deal is close, but it comes as Paramount faces mounting financial pressure to resolve the dispute with regulators before costs escalate further.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, joined by 11 other states, alleges the $111 billion merger would illegally curb competition in the theatrical and basic cable markets, and says he would only settle for "robust structural remedies" such as significant asset spin-offs. Paramount had hoped to strike a deal before 1 October, after which it must pay Warner Bros. shareholders a $7 million daily "ticking fee"; earlier talks collapsed on 24 August after Bonta accused the company of leaking details to the press, which Paramount denies. Separately, a hearing is scheduled for 24 September on Paramount's request that plaintiffs post a $1.88 billion bond over delay costs, which the states say breaches its earlier pledge not to close the deal before trial.