A federal magistrate judge in Oakland has mandated a two-day in-person settlement conference between Paramount Skydance, Warner Bros Discovery, and a coalition of state attorneys general in late October to attempt resolving the antitrust dispute blocking their $111 billion merger. The court-ordered talks represent a standard procedural effort to reach agreement before trial proceedings commence.

The settlement conference is scheduled weeks ahead of a March trial date in Oakland, where state regulators will challenge the proposed combination on competitive grounds. Despite the settlement negotiations, a $7 million daily ticking fee continues to accrue, adding financial pressure to both companies' incentives to reach resolution, though legal observers caution that the court order does not signal imminent deal closure.