California Attorney General Rob Bonta called off a scheduled Monday meeting with Paramount Skydance, citing concerns about the company’s conduct during early settlement negotiations related to its planned merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. Bonta stated that Paramount had disclosed and mischaracterized details from a Friday meeting between the parties, which he characterized as demonstrating insufficient commitment to resolving the dispute through discussion.
Bonta’s office leads a multistate legal challenge seeking to block the proposed merger on antitrust grounds. The attorney general has previously indicated openness to settlement discussions and noted a preference for resolving such matters through negotiation rather than litigation. However, he indicated that any resolution would require “robust structural remedies” from Paramount.
Paramount disputed Bonta’s characterization in a statement, asserting it was not responsible for the information leaks and expressing continued willingness to engage in good faith discussions. The company reiterated its support for the proposed acquisition, which is valued at approximately $110 billion and would combine the two major media enterprises.
The multistate lawsuit was filed in July by Bonta and 11 other state attorneys general. The complaint alleges the merger would create excessive consolidation in film and basic television programming markets. Paramount has previously rejected these concerns, describing the lawsuit as a misunderstanding of current competitive dynamics. The companies agreed to delay closing the transaction until as late as June 2027, with a trial in the antitrust matter scheduled for March.
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