Federal Judge Blocks Nexstar-Tegna TV Merger

Antitrust lawsuit puts $6.2 billion deal on hold until legal dispute is resolved.

Apr. 18, 2026 at 1:33am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A photorealistic studio still life featuring a stack of legal documents, a gavel, and a TV remote control, symbolizing the corporate strategy and consumer impact of a blocked TV station merger.A legal battle over media consolidation puts a $6.2 billion TV station merger on hold.Today in Sacramento

A federal judge in California has blocked the proposed $6.2 billion merger between local TV giants Nexstar Media Group and Tegna, siding with a group of state attorneys general and DirecTV who argued the deal would lead to higher prices for consumers and stifle local journalism. The judge found the plaintiffs were likely to prevail in their antitrust lawsuit against the merger.

Why it matters

The Nexstar-Tegna merger would create one of the largest local TV station owners in the U.S., controlling over 260 stations across 44 states. Critics argued this would give the combined company too much market power to raise prices on cable and satellite providers, ultimately harming consumers. The ruling is a setback for Nexstar's plans to expand its national footprint.

The details

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Troy L. Nunley in Sacramento issued the temporary block on the merger, finding that the attorneys general from eight states and DirecTV were likely to prevail in their antitrust lawsuit. The deal, approved by the FCC last year, would have made Nexstar the owner of two or even three of the 'Big Four' local network affiliates in 31 TV markets, giving it significant leverage over distributors.

  • The merger was announced in 2022.
  • The FCC approved the deal in 2023.
  • The antitrust lawsuit was filed in early 2026.
  • The judge issued a temporary restraining order on April 7, 2026.
  • The judge issued a longer-term block on the merger on April 18, 2026.

The players

Nexstar Media Group

A major U.S. television broadcasting and digital media company that owns, operates, programs or provides sales and other services to 199 television stations and related digital multicast signals reaching 116 markets or approximately 39% of all U.S. television households.

Tegna

A publicly traded media company that owns or operates 64 television stations across 51 U.S. markets. It is one of the largest owners of top 4 network affiliates in the top 25 markets.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Troy L. Nunley

The federal judge presiding over the antitrust lawsuit and who issued the order blocking the Nexstar-Tegna merger.

DirecTV

A major U.S. satellite television service provider that joined the state attorneys general in filing the antitrust lawsuit against the proposed Nexstar-Tegna merger.

Brendan Carr

The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission who approved the Nexstar-Tegna merger in 2023, subject to certain divestitures.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“The deal has already been reviewed and cleared by the FCC and the Department of Justice. We believe the FCC order commits the company to expand local journalism and programming, not shrink it.”

— Nexstar's attorneys

“Once that occurs, multichannel video programming distributors such as DirecTV would have to comply with Nexstar's demands for higher broadcast fees or risk leaving subscribers potentially unable to watch things like Sunday NFL football games.”

— Judge Troy L. Nunley, U.S. District Court Chief Judge

What’s next

The antitrust lawsuit brought by the state attorneys general and DirecTV will now proceed, with the merger blocked until the legal dispute is resolved.

The takeaway

This ruling is a major setback for Nexstar's plans to expand its national footprint through the Tegna acquisition. It highlights the ongoing antitrust scrutiny of media consolidation and the concerns over the impact of such mergers on consumer prices and local journalism.