Oregon drops court bid against Paramount-WBD merger
PUBLISHED Jul 12, 2026, 9:56 AM ET
Read, Watch or Listen
United States – Oregon’s Attorney General has withdrawn a legal effort to freeze the proposed $110 billion merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery, removing a major obstacle to the media deal and handing Paramount a temporary victory. The reversal, announced Sunday, July 12, follows a sharp escalation in the dispute, during which Attorney General Dan Rayfield accused Paramount of withholding key materials and threatened to seek a 60-day halt to the transaction. At the center of Oregon’s concerns were questions over access to internal documents, including an ultra-secret strategy dossier known inside Paramount as “Project Warrior,” which outlines the company’s approach to securing federal approval for the merger. United States – The Oregon decision ends one high-profile courtroom clash but does not close the regulatory chapter for the merger, which has become one of the most closely watched and contested deals in the media industry. A coalition of other state regulators is preparing coordinated antitrust challenges that aim to subject the transaction to further scrutiny and could still attempt to block or reshape it. The broader inquiry has drawn additional attention because of allegations that tech billionaire Larry Ellison leveraged personal ties with former President Donald Trump to obtain favorable treatment at the U.S. Department of Justice, a claim Paramount has rejected as part of what it calls a politically motivated and unfounded investigation.
By Michael Grant | JQJO News
Timeline of Events
- Earlier this year Paramount and WBD announce $110 billion merger
- Recent weeks Oregon opens court challenge to merger
- Recent weeks Oregon alleges withheld internal documents
- Recent weeks Threatened sixty-day transaction freeze
- Sunday, July 12 Oregon withdraws merger injunction bid
- Sunday, July 12 Paramount avoids immediate deal freeze
- After withdrawal Rival states prepare antitrust coalition
- Coming months Deal faces further regulatory challenges
News Intelligence
- This merger could affect your media choices. If it goes through, Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery would control a big chunk of TV and movie content. That might change what you can watch and where. Keep an eye on your favorite shows and streaming platforms.
Comments