Press Release: 7/21/2026

AG Campbell Secures Critical Win In Lawsuit To Block Warner Bros./Paramount Merger

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

7/20/2026

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Allie Zuliani, Deputy Press Secretary

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Call Allie Zuliani, Deputy Press Secretary at (617) 727-2543

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Email Allie Zuliani, Deputy Press Secretary at Allie.Zuliani@mass.gov

BOSTON — Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell today issued the following statement after the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted the states’ request for a temporary restraining order halting the merger of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (Warner Bros.) by Paramount Skydance Corporation (Paramount).  

The temporary restraining order halts the merger while the court considers a ruling on a preliminary injunction, which would block the merger for the duration of the litigation. Last week, AG Campbell joined a coalition of 12 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit challenging the unlawful merger, which is expected to result in higher prices, lower content quality, and fewer movies and TV shows.  

“I applaud the court’s decision to temporarily halt this merger while we continue to fight our case,” said AG Campbell. “Massachusetts’ vibrant creative community – and the audiences who support it – benefit from a competitive entertainment marketplace. I will continue advocating on behalf of filmmakers, producers, theaters, and audiences across the Commonwealth who deserve healthy competition that fosters creativity and keeps entertainment affordable for all.”    

For more than a century, Warner Bros. and Paramount have served as independent sources of creativity and competition in the film and television industry. The attorneys general allege that the proposed $110 billion merger — the largest in Hollywood history — would combine two of Hollywood’s five major film distributors and two of the five major owners of basic cable channels, extinguishing competition between Paramount and Warner Bros. and inflicting substantial harm on movie theaters, basic cable distributors, and ultimately, audiences nationwide. 

The lawsuit alleges that the merger violates Section 7 of the Clayton Act, which holds that mergers that may substantially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly are illegal. The attorneys general allege that, if Warner Bros. and Paramount are allowed to merge, it would lessen competition in three markets: wide-release theatrical film distribution, anticipated blockbuster theatrical film distribution, and cable TV licensing.  

Currently, Paramount and Warner Bros. compete fiercely to create and distribute new, different, and innovative film and television content to American viewers. Movie theaters and TV distributors rely on competition between Paramount and Warner Bros. to incentivize creativity and secure competitive prices and terms for themselves and for audiences. TV distributors negotiate with Paramount, Warner Bros., and other cable channel owners to acquire the rights to distribute that content to subscribers. Alternatives are essential in these negotiations as is the leverage that each entertainment company provides to TV distributors and movie theaters. For example, if Paramount insists on onerous financial terms, its negotiating partner can gain leverage by turning to Warner Bros. and vice versa. Paramount’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. will end this competition, threatening customers with higher prices, the decline of theatrical exhibition of films, and a reduction in the variety, quality, and amount of content distributed. 

Joining AG Campbell in filing the lawsuit were the attorneys general of California, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Washington. 

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