Attorney General Phil Weiser: Agreement puts Paramount/Warner Bros. merger on hold until next year

July 24, 2026 (DENVER) – Attorney General Phil Weiser released the following statement regarding the stipulation filed today in federal court that stops Paramount and Warner Bros. from merging until the court rules on the merits of the case or until June 1, 2027, whichever comes first:

“Today’s court filing acknowledges the serious competition and consumer impacts of the Paramount/Warner Brothers megamerger. The combined company would eliminate competition between the movie behemoths and inflict substantial harm on movie theaters, basic cable distributors, and audiences nationwide. The agreement stops the companies from merging until June 1, 2027, or until the court rules on the case. This is a huge win for everyone who enjoys movies or television. I’m proud of my attorney general colleagues in our coalition for being bold and stepping up to enforce the antitrust laws when the Department of Justice wouldn’t.”

Read the Stipulation and Proposed Order Not to Close (PDF).

On July 13, Colorado joined a coalition of a dozen state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit challenging the the $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. by Paramount Skydance Corporation. The proposed merger would combine two of Hollywood’s five major film distributors and two of the five major basic cable companies.

Earlier this week, a judge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted a temporary restraining order halting the merger for 14 days.

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Media Contact:
Lawrence Pacheco
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(720) 508-6553 office
lawrence.pacheco@coag.gov