STATEMENT: Attorney General Raúl Torrez Secures Critical Win in Lawsuit to Block Warner Bros./Paramount Merger 

Last week, Attorney General Torrez filed a lawsuit alongside 12 attorneys general challenging the unlawful merger, which is expected to result in higher prices, lower content quality and fewer movies and TV shows.

Source: N.M. Department of Justice

Albuquerque, NM – Attorney General Raúl Torrez today issued the following statement after the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted a request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) halting the merger of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (Warner Bros.) by Paramount Skydance Corporation (Paramount). The TRO halts the merger while the court considers a ruling on a preliminary injunction, which would block the merger for the duration of the litigation.

Statement:

“This victory is a great first step in preserving choice and affordability in entertainment for New Mexico working families, as well as the longevity of our state’s film industry,” said Attorney General Raúl Torrez. “If this merger and near monopoly were allowed to go forward, it would reduce competition for all of us and it could have a detrimental impact on good-paying jobs. My office will continue to protect the rights of consumers in New Mexico, as well as our state’s unique film industry.”

Background:  

Last week, Attorney General Torrez filed a lawsuit alongside 12 attorneys general challenging the unlawful merger, which is expected to result in higher prices, lower content quality and fewer movies and TV shows. If allowed to merge, the combined titan would control nearly one-third of theatrical motion pictures, and nearly one-third of basic cable programming.

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The proposed $110 billion merger — the largest in Hollywood history — would combine two of Hollywood’s five major film distributors and two of the five major owners of basic cable channels, extinguishing competition between Paramount and Warner Bros., and inflicting substantial harm on movie theaters, basic cable distributors, and ultimately, audiences nationwide.

For more about the lawsuit, visit HERE.

In filing the lawsuit, Attorney General Torrez joins the attorneys general of California, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Washington.