Paramount has requested that states absorb the financial burden stemming from the postponement of its $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The merger has been delayed until the conclusion of a trial, a hold-up the studio claims could cost it millions of dollars in additional expenses and lost synergies.

The media giant argues that regulatory scrutiny and the resulting timeline uncertainty create an unfair cost burden for a transaction designed to create a more competitive streaming and content entity. Paramount contends that since the delay serves public oversight interests, the public sector should share in the carrying costs.

State officials have not yet responded to the unusual request, which legal experts say tests the boundaries of corporate-government risk allocation in mega-mergers. The outcome could set a precedent for how future deal delays are financed when antitrust reviews extend beyond initial projections.