A coalition operating under the Block the Merger banner has made an emergency court filing opposing Paramount’s $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, escalating the legal challenge just hours before a federal court hearing in California.
The coalition filed a motion Thursday morning seeking permission to submit an amicus brief. Such briefs allow interested parties that are not direct participants in a case to present legal arguments relevant to the court’s consideration.
Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín is still deciding whether to approve the deal. A hearing was scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday to address what the court described as “certain outstanding questions” surrounding the merger.
Block the Merger said the judge could also rule during the hearing on its request to take part in the proceedings.
Coalition targets Paramount settlement
The filing comes after Paramount reached an agreement Monday with 12 state attorneys general who had brought an antitrust lawsuit over the acquisition. That case had been scheduled to go to trial in March 2027.
Members of the coalition said they are asking Martínez-Olguín “to grant interested parties the opportunity to formally oppose the weak and unenforceable consent decree that state attorneys general entered into with Paramount on Monday.”
The five groups participating in the motion are the Committee for the First Amendment, Free Press, Freedom of the Press Foundation, Future Film Coalition and International Documentary Association.
The coalition’s characterization of the agreement puts it at odds with California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who called the settlement terms “very strong.”
Under the settlement, Paramount committed to releasing at least 30 movies each year. It also agreed to establish an independent editorial board overseeing CNN and CBS News operations.
Another provision requires Paramount to retain either the Paramount Studios lot or the Warner Bros. lot in California for a minimum of five years.
The emergency motion now seeks to give outside organizations a formal avenue to argue against that resolution while the court considers the acquisition.
“We deserve our day in court”
Free Press Co-CEO Jessica J. González, who is serving as co-counsel on the motion, said public concerns about the merger were not adequately addressed by the agreement between Paramount and the state officials.
“Hundreds of thousands of people across the country called on state attorneys general to enforce the law and to protect consumers, workers and free speech,” González said. “The weak and unenforceable deal the AGs struck with Paramount leaves us in the lurch. We deserve our day in court.”
The filing creates an immediate procedural question for Martínez-Olguín alongside the broader issues surrounding the acquisition. The court must consider the remaining questions over the merger, while also potentially deciding whether the coalition will be permitted to present its opposition formally through an amicus brief.
What Happens Next?
The scheduled hearing will give Martínez-Olguín an opportunity to address the court’s outstanding questions concerning the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery deal. Block the Merger has said a decision on its emergency motion may also come during that proceeding.
If the request is granted, the participating organizations would be able to submit their legal arguments against the consent decree as the judge continues considering whether to approve the $111 billion acquisition.