Paramount filed a formal legal response on Friday to the antitrust lawsuit brought by a coalition of 12 states seeking to block its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, setting out defences it intends to argue at trial in March 2027. The filing matters because it signals Paramount's confidence that the case will unravel under legal scrutiny, and comes as the theatre-owners' trade body Cinema United has separately called for a settlement, while the US Department of Justice has already approved the deal.

Paramount's lawyers argued the states lack authority to regulate the merger, which they say rests with the DOJ, and pledged to challenge the states' definitions of the relevant markets, calling them "gerrymandered" and based on outdated data that ignores the shift towards streaming. The Writers Guild of America has filed a related suit and will be heard alongside the states' case at the March 2027 trial; Paramount has agreed not to close the deal before a ruling but is seeking a $1.88 billion bond from the plaintiffs, with a hearing on that request set for 24 September, while a separate settlement conference is scheduled for late October.