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Federal Court Temporarily Blocks Nexstar-Tegna Merger
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›The legal battle over the Nexstar-Tegna merger continues, with a federal judge temporarily blocking the companies from combining operations.Today in SacramentoA federal judge in Sacramento has issued an injunction temporarily preventing the television giant Nexstar from combining operations with station group Tegna, the latest development in an ongoing legal battle over the $6.2 billion merger. The judge ruled that Nexstar must allow Tegna to continue operating as a separate and independent business unit while the antitrust lawsuit proceeds. Why it matters The Nexstar-Tegna merger would create one of the largest local TV station groups in the U.S., raising concerns from competitors and regulators about reduced competition and higher consumer costs in local media markets. The details The injunction from Judge Troy L. Nunley of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California requires Nexstar to maintain Tegna as a separate and viable competitor during the ongoing antitrust lawsuit filed by DirecTV and a coalition of states. Nexstar has stated that the merger was completed four weeks ago after receiving regulatory approvals, but the judge said the companies must remain separate pending further court proceedings. The injunction was issued on Friday, April 17, 2026.The Nexstar-Tegna merger agreement was announced in 2025. The players Nexstar Media GroupOne of the largest local television broadcasting companies in the United States, owning and operating over 200 television stations.TegnaA major television station group that owns and operates dozens of local TV stations across the country.Troy L. NunleyA judge in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California who issued the injunction temporarily blocking the Nexstar-Tegna merger.DirecTVA major satellite television provider that filed a lawsuit to block the Nexstar-Tegna merger, citing concerns over reduced competition and higher consumer costs.California, Colorado, and OregonA coalition of states that also sued to block the Nexstar-Tegna merger on similar antitrust grounds. Got photos? Submit your photos here. › What they’re saying “Nexstar must permit Tegna to continue operating as a separate and distinct, independently managed business unit from Nexstar, and Nexstar must put measures in place to maintain Tegna as an ongoing, economically viable, and active competitor.”— Troy L. Nunley, U.S. District Court Judge“Nexstar Media Gro...
Judge blocks Nexstar-Tegna merger until antitrust lawsuit is ...
A federal judge temporarily blocked Nexstar's $6.2 billion merger with Tegna after 8 states and DirecTV sued. Nexstar plans to appeal the judge's decision. SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal judge has blocked a $6.2 billion merger of local television giants Nexstar Media Group and rival Tegna until an antitrust lawsuit is resolved. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Troy L. Nunley in Sacramento, California, made the ruling late Friday afternoon, finding that eight attorneys general and DirecTV were likely to prevail in their legal bid to stop the merger. The attorneys general, all Democrats, and DirecTV contend the merger will lead to higher prices for consumers, stifle local journalism and that the deal runs afoul of federal laws designed to protect against monopolies. The deal, announced last year and approved by the Federal Communications Commission, would create a company that owns 265 television stations in 44 states and the District of Columbia, most of them local affiliates of one of the “Big Four” national networks: ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC. That would likely give Nexstar the power to raise the retransmission fees it charges to video programming distributors like DirecTV, which means higher bills for consumers, Nunley wrote. The company also has a track record of consolidating local television news stations when it owns more than one station in a market, the judge said, meaning viewers “will lose options for where to get their local news.” The deal could also force distributors like DirecTV to comply with Nexstar’s demands for higher broadcast fees or risk leaving subscribers potentially unable to watch things like Sunday NFL football games, the judge said. Stopping the merger for now is “in the public interest,” Nunley wrote. Nexstar’s attorneys told the court the deal has already been reviewed and cleared by the FCC and the Department of Justice. They said the FCC order commits the company to expand local journalism and programming, not shrink it. The merger needed the approval of the Republican Trump administration’s FCC because the government had to waive rules that limit how many local stations one company can own. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said in March that the company had agreed to divest itself of six stations. The judge said the FCC clearance process for the deal was “unusual,” and that the regulatory oversight “did not curb the manifest anticompetitive effects of this acquisition.” The Department of Justice, which is tasked with conducting antitr...
Attorney General James Wins Court Order Halting Nexstar-Tegna Merger
Attorney General James and the coalition filed a lawsuit on March 19 to block the merger, alleging it would violate federal antitrust law by creating the largest broadcast station group in the country, controlling over 250 local TV stations that reach 80 percent of the country's population.
Federal judge blocks politically fraught Nexstar-Tegna merger | CNN ...
Nexstar's politically charged acquisition of a rival TV station owner, Tegna, has been halted by a federal judge in California.
