Eight States File Emergency Motion to Block Nexstar's $6.2 Billion Acquisition of Tegna

The biggest broadcast television deal in years cleared its final federal hurdle last Wednesday when the Federal Communications Commission approved Nexstar Media Group's $6.2 billion acquisition of rival station owner Tegna . Within hours, Nexstar announced the transaction had closed — and within a day, eight state attorneys general had escalated their legal campaign to unwind it Eight states sue to block Nexstar’s plan to acquire rival Tegnai-invdn-com.investing.com·Secondary.

The states — California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Oregon and Virginia, all led by Democratic attorneys general — filed an emergency motion on Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California seeking a temporary restraining order . The motion asks the court to prevent Nexstar from integrating or commingling the assets it acquired from what had been, until the day before, a substantial competitor California And Other States Sue To Block Nexstar-Tegna Mergerdeadline.com·SecondaryUPDATED: California and seven other states filed suit to block Nexstar‘s merger with Tegna, a transaction that will create a broadcast station giant. The $6.2 billion transaction would give the combined company 265 stations — which it will own or operate — covering 80% of the country..

The combined entity will own or operate 259 full-power television stations across the country after completing promised divestitures of six stations . Those stations are affiliated with all four major broadcast networks — ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC — and the merged company will reach approximately 80 percent of U.S. television households . That figure far exceeds the FCC's National Television Ownership Rule, which limits any single company from owning stations reaching more than 39 percent of the country Eight states, DirecTV sue to block merger of local television owners Nexstar and Tegnaapnews.com·SecondaryNew York Attorney General Letitia James attends a news conference Dec. 15, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File) The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday said it had approved the merger of local television giants Nexstar Media Group and rival Tegna, the same day that two lawsuits trying to block the deal were announced. Nexstar said last August that it would buy Tegna for $6.2 billion..

The FCC, under Chairman Brendan Carr, granted a waiver of the 39 percent cap to allow the transaction to proceed . While the commission argued that the merger would enable local broadcast stations to counter the growing power of national programmers, critics contend that the waiver may lack legal authority and that only Congress can change the statutory limit Eight states, DirecTV sue to block merger of local television owners Nexstar and Tegnaapnews.com·SecondaryNew York Attorney General Letitia James attends a news conference Dec. 15, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File) The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday said it had approved the merger of local television giants Nexstar Media Group and rival Tegna, the same day that two lawsuits trying to block the deal were announced. Nexstar said last August that it would buy Tegna for $6.2 billion..

The Political Dimension

The approval did not arrive in a vacuum. President Donald Trump endorsed the transaction in February on Truth Social, writing that more competition against what he called the national TV networks would benefit the public Eight states, DirecTV sue to block merger of local television owners Nexstar and Tegnaapnews.com·SecondaryNew York Attorney General Letitia James attends a news conference Dec. 15, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File) The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday said it had approved the merger of local television giants Nexstar Media Group and rival Tegna, the same day that two lawsuits trying to block the deal were announced. Nexstar said last August that it would buy Tegna for $6.2 billion.. FCC Chairman Carr quickly echoed the sentiment, posting that the national networks had amassed too much power and that the merger would bring real competition Eight states, DirecTV sue to block merger of local television owners Nexstar and Tegnaapnews.com·SecondaryNew York Attorney General Letitia James attends a news conference Dec. 15, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File) The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday said it had approved the merger of local television giants Nexstar Media Group and rival Tegna, the same day that two lawsuits trying to block the deal were announced. Nexstar said last August that it would buy Tegna for $6.2 billion..

Nexstar had previously aligned itself with the administration's media posture. The company temporarily pulled late-night host Jimmy Kimmel's show from its 28 ABC affiliates after Carr raised concerns about broadcasters' content decisions Eight states, DirecTV sue to block merger of local television owners Nexstar and Tegnaapnews.com·SecondaryNew York Attorney General Letitia James attends a news conference Dec. 15, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File) The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday said it had approved the merger of local television giants Nexstar Media Group and rival Tegna, the same day that two lawsuits trying to block the deal were announced. Nexstar said last August that it would buy Tegna for $6.2 billion.. That decision drew criticism from free-press advocates but appeared to cement the relationship between the company and regulators.

Nexstar CEO Perry Sook expressed gratitude to the president, the FCC chairman and the Department of Justice for what he described as recognizing the dynamic forces shaping the media landscape and enabling the transaction to move forward Eight states ask US judge to temporarily block Nexstar, Tegna mergeri-invdn-com.investing.com·Secondary.

State Attorneys General Push Back

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who is leading the multistate challenge, framed the merger as a direct threat to competitive markets and consumer wallets . In a statement issued Friday, Bonta argued that federal approval had put corporate interests ahead of everyday Americans and that the merger runs contrary to federal antitrust laws California And Other States Sue To Block Nexstar-Tegna Mergerdeadline.com·SecondaryUPDATED: California and seven other states filed suit to block Nexstar‘s merger with Tegna, a transaction that will create a broadcast station giant. The $6.2 billion transaction would give the combined company 265 stations — which it will own or operate — covering 80% of the country..

New York Attorney General Letitia James echoed those concerns, warning that the combination would cause cable prices to increase for consumers in New York and nationwide Eight states ask US judge to temporarily block Nexstar, Tegna mergeri-invdn-com.investing.com·Secondary. The attorneys general identified 13 markets where both Nexstar and Tegna operate top-four stations, with combined market shares exceeding 30 percent based on retransmission revenues Eight states sue to block Nexstar’s plan to acquire rival Tegnai-invdn-com.investing.com·Secondary.

The states' lawsuit alleges that the merger will lead to higher prices, as the increased leverage of the combined company would force cable and satellite distributors to pay more to carry their channels — costs that would ultimately be passed on to consumers . The complaint also raises concerns about potential job losses in local newsrooms, noting reports that Nexstar had already begun laying off longstanding journalists at stations in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York following the deal's closure California And Other States Sue To Block Nexstar-Tegna Mergerdeadline.com·SecondaryUPDATED: California and seven other states filed suit to block Nexstar‘s merger with Tegna, a transaction that will create a broadcast station giant. The $6.2 billion transaction would give the combined company 265 stations — which it will own or operate — covering 80% of the country..

A Race Against the Clock

The timeline of the legal battle reveals how quickly events unfolded. According to court filings, California's attorney general reached out to Nexstar's lawyers on March 10 and 11 to negotiate a timing agreement under which the companies would not complete the transaction until the state finished its investigation Eight states sue to block Nexstar’s plan to acquire rival Tegnai-invdn-com.investing.com·Secondary. Nexstar's attorneys never responded to those requests Eight states sue to block Nexstar’s plan to acquire rival Tegnai-invdn-com.investing.com·Secondary.

Another outreach on March 18, just before the lawsuit was filed, also went unanswered Eight states sue to block Nexstar’s plan to acquire rival Tegnai-invdn-com.investing.com·Secondary. When Bonta's office informed Nexstar on Friday morning of its plans to seek the temporary restraining order, Nexstar's attorneys responded that the relief sought was no longer available because the transaction had already closed Eight states sue to block Nexstar’s plan to acquire rival Tegnai-invdn-com.investing.com·Secondary.

The states noted in their motion that the Department of Justice had closed its investigation before the end of a statutory waiting period, and the FCC had approved the deal after less than four months of review Eight states sue to block Nexstar’s plan to acquire rival Tegnai-invdn-com.investing.com·Secondary. They argued that the speed of the regulatory approvals, combined with the companies' refusal to engage with state investigators, raised concerns about whether effective judicial review was being deliberately frustrated Eight states sue to block Nexstar’s plan to acquire rival Tegnai-invdn-com.investing.com·Secondary.

DirecTV Adds a Second Front

The state attorneys general are not the only parties challenging the merger. DirecTV filed its own lawsuit against Nexstar and Tegna in the same court on March 18, also seeking to block the transaction . The satellite television provider argued that a combined Nexstar-Tegna would drive up consumer costs, reduce local competition, shutter local newsrooms and increase both the frequency and duration of programming blackouts California And Other States Sue To Block Nexstar-Tegna Mergerdeadline.com·SecondaryUPDATED: California and seven other states filed suit to block Nexstar‘s merger with Tegna, a transaction that will create a broadcast station giant. The $6.2 billion transaction would give the combined company 265 stations — which it will own or operate — covering 80% of the country.. DirecTV confirmed on Friday that its lawsuit would proceed regardless of the deal's closure California And Other States Sue To Block Nexstar-Tegna Mergerdeadline.com·SecondaryUPDATED: California and seven other states filed suit to block Nexstar‘s merger with Tegna, a transaction that will create a broadcast station giant. The $6.2 billion transaction would give the combined company 265 stations — which it will own or operate — covering 80% of the country..

The parallel lawsuits create a two-front legal challenge for Nexstar as it attempts to integrate its new assets. While the federal government approved the deal, the state and private litigation could still force divestiture or impose conditions on the combined company's operations.

What Comes Next

The court has yet to rule on the emergency motion for a temporary restraining order. If granted, it would freeze integration efforts and require Nexstar to hold Tegna's assets separate pending further proceedings California And Other States Sue To Block Nexstar-Tegna Mergerdeadline.com·SecondaryUPDATED: California and seven other states filed suit to block Nexstar‘s merger with Tegna, a transaction that will create a broadcast station giant. The $6.2 billion transaction would give the combined company 265 stations — which it will own or operate — covering 80% of the country.. A denial would allow Nexstar to proceed with combining operations, potentially making any future unwinding more difficult and costly.

The case raises broader questions about the balance of power in media regulation. Opponents of the merger argue that the FCC's waiver of its own ownership cap sets a precedent that effectively renders the rule meaningless . Supporters counter that the traditional ownership limits are outdated in an era where streaming platforms and digital media have fundamentally changed how Americans consume news and entertainment Eight states, DirecTV sue to block merger of local television owners Nexstar and Tegnaapnews.com·SecondaryNew York Attorney General Letitia James attends a news conference Dec. 15, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File) The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday said it had approved the merger of local television giants Nexstar Media Group and rival Tegna, the same day that two lawsuits trying to block the deal were announced. Nexstar said last August that it would buy Tegna for $6.2 billion..

For the roughly 80 percent of American households served by the combined company's stations, the outcome will have practical consequences — from local news coverage to the price of their cable bills. The legal fight over whether this deal stands or falls is likely to extend well into 2026.