WBD Merger With Paramount Skydance Postponed Until After Antitrust Trial

The merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery is officially on hold until after an antitrust trial. Variety reported the news on Friday, after Paramount reportedly agreed with a coalition of state attorneys to postpone the $111 billion sale, which would see the company merge with WBD.

According to Variety, Paramount entered a joint stipulation on Friday afternoon and agreed to not close the sale until five days after the trial is held, or June 1, 2027, whichever is sooner. A date for the trial has yet to be set

Earlier the week, a restraining order was granted by a judge after the 12 state coalition, led by California, filed for one, arguing the merger will violate antitrust laws. That order only prevented the sale from closing for 28 days, unless the preliminary injunction was granted by a judge. A hearing scheduled for August 3, where both sides would argue over the injunction, was canceled after Friday's agreement.

The earlier report indicated that Paramount is pushing for a hearing to take place late next month, as the company is faced with paying millions of dollars per day to Warner Bros. investors as the sale remains in limbo. According to Variety, the company is hoping to close the sale before September 30, when a $7 million per day "ticketing fee" would go into effect.

As for impacts in the professional wrestling world, Dave Meltzer previously noted that AEW would want the sale to go forward as quickly as possible, so HBO Max and Paramount+ can merge. The merger of streaming services would bring more eyes globally to the product. Paramount CEO David Ellison has said that combining both services would bring the merged companies over 200 million direct to consumer subscribers.