Paramount will not close its $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros before July 22, the company said, delaying the deal’s closure by an additional week after Oregon’s attorney general sought a court order to pause the transaction.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield’s office asked a court in Multnomah County on July 8 to order Paramount to hand over records and delay the deal by 60 days so the state could review documents related to the company’s lobbying efforts. Paramount had previously told Oregon it would not close before July 16, but at a preliminary hearing, the company moved the date to July 22.
The Oregon probe centered on records Paramount had withheld related to its lobbying activities. Paramount responded by saying it had already presented over 822,000 documents to the state, in addition to 1.2 million documents provided by Warner Bros Discovery. The company argued that the requested information had nothing to do with whether the deal should be approved under antitrust law.
On July 11, just three days after Oregon filed its motion, the state’s attorney general withdrew the court motion and dropped its demand for records, saying the office is considering its next steps. A Paramount spokesperson said the company was pleased with Oregon’s decision to withdraw the motion.
The merger was first announced on February 27, 2026, when Paramount Skydance defeated Netflix in a bidding war to acquire Warner Bros Discovery. The U.S. Justice Department approved the deal on June 12, 2026, clearing the way for closure. The European Commission also extended its review deadline to July 22 to assess remedies Paramount offered to address competition concerns, including divesting its film distribution joint venture with Universal Pictures.
Sources
- Reuters — Paramount’s statement on July 22 closing date and Oregon’s initial motion for 60-day delay and records
- Deadline — Oregon Attorney General’s withdrawal of motion and records demand on July 11
- Variety — Oregon’s withdrawal of delay motion and Paramount’s response
- NBC News — Oregon’s initial request for 60-day delay and records review
- NPR — Justice Department approval of merger on June 12, 2026
