California is leading a lawsuit to block the merger between Paramount and Warner Brothers Discovery.
Posted by On with Kara Swisher, Checked
- Sources
- 5 support1 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 95%
On with Kara SwisherAug 10, 2026
California led a coalition of 12 states that sued on July 13, 2026 to block Paramount's $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, so the claim was true as of the August 10, 2026 posting date.
Our two reads of who says this, and how, disagree, so it counts as the post's own claim.
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… So I think the general things that we do to bring to improve the business climate for everyone will also help, but I think the two big ones are the tax incentive and the bureaucracy. So California is leading also a group of states in a lawsuit to block Paramount's merger with Warner Brothers. Discovery. You say the suit is pure politics, but many in the industry oppose the merger, and also the journey to get to the approval from the Department of Justice felt a little political, too. …
On with Kara Swisher · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. The California Attorney General's office issued a press release announcing that AG Rob Bonta led a coalition of 12 attorneys general in filing suit to block the Warner Bros./Paramount merger.[2]
Supports. Reuters reported that California and 11 states sued in Oakland federal court to block the deal, and NPR reported that a dozen states, led by California, filed the suit.[1][5]
Supports. New Jersey and Colorado attorneys general issued statements on July 20, 2026 confirming the coalition suit and a temporary restraining order granted by a federal court in California.[3][4]
Context. A WGA source dated October 30, 2026 says the coalition's suit settled on September 21, 2026. This postdates the August 10 claim and does not change its truth on that date.[6]
Context. The extracted claim matches the passage, which says California is leading a group of states in a lawsuit to block the merger. No details were added.
Sources
6 sources: 1 fact-checker, 3 primary, 1 tier 2, 1 not rated
- 1California-led states sue to block Paramount's $110 billion ...reuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 2Attorney General Bonta Files Lawsuit to Block $110 Billion …oag.ca.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
- 3AG Davenport Secures Critical Win in Lawsuit to Block Paramount/Warner Bros. Mergernjoag.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
- 4State attorneys general secure critical win in lawsuit to ...coag.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
- 5States sue to stop Paramount-Warner Bros blockbuster mergernpr.org · tier 2 · cited for: supports
- 6WGA Lawsuit to Block Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery ...wga.org · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
- California Attorney General Rob Bonta obtained a temporary restraining order in the lawsuit against the Paramount and Warner Brothers Discovery merger.True
- California Attorney General Rob Bonta walked away from a meeting regarding the Paramount merger last week.True
- The trial regarding the Paramount and Warner Brothers Discovery merger is scheduled for March.True
- Rob Bonta took legal action to block a merger in Hollywood involving Netflix.Mixed
- CNN is undergoing a merger with Paramount.True