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The March start date means Paramount will owe more than $1 billion in daily penalties before a judge ever rules on the deal
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Paramount $PARA faces an antitrust trial beginning March 2, 2027, over its $81 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, after U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín set the date on Tuesday. Judge Martínez-Olguín's order schedules proceedings for a total of 12 court days.
The timeline lands well outside the bounds either side had sought. Paramount had pushed for a November 2026 start, while California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who leads a 12-state coalition challenging the deal, had sought an April 2027 date, arguing more time was needed to gather evidence and prepare arguments.
