Paramount Skydance has asked a federal judge to begin an antitrust trial over its proposed Warner Bros. merger in November, while a coalition of 12 US states and the Writers Guild of America want it delayed until April 2027. The timing is significant because Paramount will pay Warner Bros. shareholders $7 million a day from 30 September until the $111 billion deal closes, and the merger cannot close after 4 June 2027.

The states, including California and New York, say the merger would reduce competition in basic cable and theatrical distribution, while the WGA says it would harm writers’ bargaining market. They seek more time for documents, depositions and economic evidence, arguing Paramount’s timetable leaves under two months for fact discovery; Paramount proposes a 12-day trial from 4 November, compared with the states’ requested 12–15 day trial starting 5 April 2027 in Oakland.