Nexstar CEO Perry Sook Calls Tegna Merger Battle “A Fight Worth Having” Here Is Where the $6.2 Billion Case Stands

Prepared by the AllAboutLawyer.com Editorial Team and reviewed for factual accuracy against court records, SEC filings, and verified reporting on May 8, 2026. Last Updated: May 8, 2026

Nexstar CEO Perry Sook opened the company’s first quarter earnings call Thursday with a five-minute update on the legal battle over its $6.2 billion merger with rival Tegna — a deal that DirecTV and 13 state attorneys general are trying to undo in federal court. Sook told analysts: “We believe this is a fight worth having — for us, for our industry, and for the future of local journalism.” With three separate legal proceedings now active and a trial on the horizon, this case is far from over.

Quick Facts: Nexstar v. DirecTV / State AGs — Tegna Merger Antitrust Fight

Field	Detail
Lawsuit Filed	March 2026 (DirecTV); April 30, 2026 (amended, 13 state AGs)
Defendant	Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
Plaintiffs	DirecTV; 13 state attorneys general including CA, NY, PA, IN, KS, MA, VT
Alleged Violation	Section 7 of the Clayton Act; Sherman Antitrust Act — unlawful merger
Deal at Stake	$6.2 billion Nexstar acquisition of Tegna — already closed March 2026
Who Is Affected	Cable and satellite TV subscribers across the U.S.
Current Court Stage	Preliminary injunction in place; Nexstar appealing to Ninth Circuit; trial pending
Court & Jurisdiction	U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California (Judge Troy Nunley); Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals; D.C. Circuit Court
Lead Trial Counsel (Nexstar)	Beth Wilkinson (former NFL lead trial counsel in Sunday Ticket antitrust case)
Next Hearing Date	FCC and Nexstar response due May 11, 2026 (D.C. Circuit); Ninth Circuit appeal pending
Last Updated	May 8, 2026

What Is the Nexstar-Tegna Lawsuit About?

The lawsuit followed Nexstar’s March 2026 announcement that it had closed the merger — shortly after the FCC Media Bureau granted relief from the federal ownership cap and approved the transaction. The combined Nexstar-Tegna will have reach into approximately 80% of U.S. households, more than doubling the previous 39% cap level.

While the deal closed in March after receiving sign-off from both the FCC and the Department of Justice, a U.S. District judge then paused it after siding with DirecTV and the state attorneys general — finding that the deal could harm competition and potentially violates antitrust law.

The core concern is straightforward: when one company controls local news stations reaching 80% of American homes, it gains enormous leverage over how much cable and satellite providers pay to carry those stations — and those costs get passed directly to your TV bill. For a deeper look at how courts are analyzing this merger’s specific antitrust claims, read our full coverage: Nexstar Tegna $6.2B Merger Antitrust Lawsuit: Judge Is Blocking the Deal.

Are You Affected by the Nexstar-Tegna Merger?

This is not a class action lawsuit. You cannot join this case. The parties are Nexstar, DirecTV, and the state attorneys general acting in the public interest.

You are affected by this case if you are:

• A cable or satellite TV subscriber anywhere in the United States
• A DirecTV, Dish, Xfinity, Spectrum, or YouTube TV customer who pays for local broadcast channels
• A resident in any of the 13 plaintiff states who could face higher retransmission fees passed through to your subscription costs

You are not a named party and do not need to take any legal action. The state attorneys general are litigating this on behalf of consumers in the public interest.

Related article: Q’orianka Kilcher v. James Cameron, Indigenous Actress Sues Over Alleged Use of Her Teenage Face to Build Avatar’s Neytiri

What Sook Said on the Earnings Call — And What It Means

Sook laid out three active legal fronts on the earnings call. First, Nexstar filed a notice of appeal of the preliminary injunction before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Second, a full antitrust trial is now headed to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. Third, there is a separate challenge to the FCC’s approval of the transaction pending before the D.C. Circuit Court.

Nexstar has hired attorney Beth Wilkinson — who served as the NFL’s lead trial counsel in the Sunday Ticket antitrust case — to handle the litigation. That is a significant hire. The Sunday Ticket case was one of the most watched antitrust trials in sports and media history, and Wilkinson’s involvement signals Nexstar is preparing for a long, high-stakes courtroom fight.

During the hold-separate period required by the court injunction, Nexstar must operate Tegna as a standalone subsidiary with its own leadership. Sook noted that neither company is allowed to reduce headcount while the case is pending.

If you have been following the state-by-state opposition to this deal, the most comprehensive breakdown of how 13 attorneys general built their case is in our earlier article: State Attorneys General vs. Nexstar-Tegna: $6.2 Billion Antitrust Merger Lawsuit 2026.

What Sook Says About DirecTV

Sook has not held back in his criticism of DirecTV’s role as the lead plaintiff pushing to unwind the deal.

At the NAB Show in Las Vegas, Sook argued that calling Nexstar a “broadcast behemoth” was an oxymoron given the competitive landscape. He pointed out that Amazon, Google, and Meta are multitrillion-dollar companies — and that DirecTV itself is twice the size of Nexstar. He said DirecTV has “a history of trying to weaken the companies it’s trying to negotiate with,” and that 83% of all industrywide retransmission disputes resulting in blackouts in recent years involved DirecTV as a party.

Sook also pointed out that of the eight state attorneys general who initially joined the lawsuit, six were up for election or re-election — which he described as a politically motivated effort to paint the deal as anti-competitive.

How This Connects to the Broader Media Merger Wave

The Nexstar-Tegna battle is not happening in isolation. It sits in the middle of the largest wave of media consolidation in decades. Five Paramount+ subscribers sued on April 30, 2026, to block Paramount’s $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, citing similar antitrust concerns about competition in streaming and national news.

Both cases center on the same fundamental question: at what point does consolidation in media stop being efficient and start being harmful to the public? If you are watching the Paramount deal as well, read our full breakdown: Paramount WBD Merger Lawsuit: Subscribers Sue to Block the $110 Billion Deal.

Nexstar-Tegna Legal Fight: Case Timeline

Milestone	Date
Nexstar-Tegna deal announced	2025
FCC Media Bureau approves merger	March 2026
DOJ antitrust division signs off	March 2026
Nexstar announces merger closed	March 20, 2026
DirecTV files antitrust lawsuit; TRO issued	March 27, 2026
Judge Nunley issues preliminary injunction	April 17, 2026
13 state AGs file amended complaint	April 30, 2026
Nexstar files notice of appeal to Ninth Circuit	Late April 2026
FCC/Nexstar response due to D.C. Circuit	May 11, 2026
Full antitrust trial	TBD — expected months away
Ninth Circuit appeal ruling	TBD — timeline not set
Expected resolution	TBD — Sook has acknowledged this will play out over many months

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a class action against Nexstar over the Tegna merger?

 No. This is a government antitrust enforcement action brought by DirecTV and 13 state attorneys general under the Clayton Act and Sherman Antitrust Act. It is not a class action and does not involve individual consumer claims.

Do I need to do anything as a cable or satellite subscriber?

 No. You are not required to take any action. The state attorneys general are litigating on behalf of consumers in their states. If the courts ultimately block or unwind the merger, your subscription rates may be affected — but no filing is required from you.

When will the Nexstar-Tegna legal battle end?

 TBD — Sook acknowledged at the NAB Show that the legal process will play out over several months. With an active Ninth Circuit appeal, a full antitrust trial pending in the Eastern District of California, and a D.C. Circuit proceeding ongoing, this case is unlikely to resolve before late 2026 at the earliest.

Can the merger be fully unwound even though it already closed? 

Yes. If the court ultimately rules against the merger, it could be unwound entirely — even though it has already technically closed. The preliminary injunction keeps the two companies operating separately in the meantime.

What happens to my local news stations during this legal fight? 

During the hold-separate period required by the injunction, Tegna continues to operate as a standalone subsidiary with its own separate leadership. Neither Nexstar nor Tegna can reduce headcount while the case is pending. Your local stations should continue operating normally.

Why did the FCC approve a deal that a federal court is now blocking? 

The court ruled that FCC and DOJ clearance does not immunize the merger from antitrust judicial review. The judge found that regulatory approval does not automatically override a court’s independent obligation to evaluate competitive harm under antitrust law.

Sources & References

• Variety — Nexstar CEO Lays Out Next Steps in Legal Fight Over Tegna Deal (May 7, 2026)
• Deadline — Nexstar CEO Perry Sook Says Legal Battle Over Tegna Merger Is “A Fight Worth Having” (May 7, 2026)
• The Wrap — Nexstar Q1 2026 Earnings Report (May 7, 2026)
• The Desk — Nexstar Appeal Filing and Perry Sook Comments (April 2026)
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California — Case before Judge Troy Nunley

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Legal claims and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. For advice regarding a particular situation, consult a qualified attorney.