Colorado AG Blocks Nexstar/Tegna Merger

CO Attorney General Press Releases

Filed March 20th, 2026

Detected March 20th, 2026

Summary

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser filed an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order to block the proposed merger between Nexstar Media Group and Tegna Inc. The lawsuit alleges the multibillion-dollar deal would create the largest broadcast station group in the U.S., harm local news, increase consumer costs, and reduce jobs.

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What changed

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, joined by seven other state AGs, has filed an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order to halt the proposed merger between Nexstar Media Group and Tegna Inc. The lawsuit, filed on March 20, 2026, seeks to block the deal which received prior approval from the FCC and DOJ, arguing it would create the largest broadcast station group in the U.S., consolidate media control, reduce local jobs, increase cable/satellite bills, and negatively impact news delivery and diverse viewpoints nationwide. The AGs contend the merger is presumptively illegal under antitrust standards, particularly in Denver where it would give one company over 57% market share.

Regulated entities, particularly those in the media and broadcasting sectors, should monitor this developing legal challenge. While the immediate action is a motion for a temporary restraining order, the underlying lawsuit aims to permanently block the merger. Compliance officers should be aware of the antitrust concerns raised, especially regarding market concentration and potential impacts on competition and consumer costs. The filing of this motion suggests a heightened level of scrutiny on large media mergers from state-level enforcement actions, even after federal approval.

What to do next

Monitor legal developments regarding the Nexstar/Tegna merger lawsuit.
Assess potential antitrust risks for similar consolidation activities in the media sector.

Source document (simplified)

Attorney General Phil Weiser files emergency motion to block Nexstar/Tegna broadcast merger

March 20, 2026 (DENVER) – Attorney General Phil Weiser and seven other attorneys general today filed a motion for a temporary restraining order to stop the merger of Tegna Inc. and Nexstar Media Group, Inc., after the broadcasting giants received merger approval from the Federal Communications Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice. Tegna owns 9News and Nexstar owns Fox 31 in Denver.

On Wednesday night, Attorney General Weiser filed a lawsuit to block the merger, a deal that is expected to create the largest broadcast station group in the United States, put more broadcast programming in the hands of fewer people, cut local jobs, increase cable and satellite bills, and significantly impact the delivery of news and other media content to Americans nationwide.

“The federal government’s approval of the Nexstar/Tegna merger indicates the fix was in. The Justice Department and the FCC have failed to give this merger the thorough review it requires—and disregarded established standards in the process. Thankfully, state AGs are ready and committed to enforcing the law and protecting consumers. That’s why we are asking the court to temporarily block the merger to allow the judge the time and ability to fairly evaluate this proposed merger on the merits,” said Attorney General Weiser. “In short, this merger between the parent companies of 9News and Fox 31 is bad for local news and the sharing of diverse viewpoints, bad for consumers, bad for jobs, and bad for democracy.”

If approved, this multibillion-dollar deal would combine the nation’s largest and third-largest television-station conglomerates, creating a titan covering 80% of U.S. television households. In Denver, the merger would create a dominant local broadcast station, with over 57% of the market in the hands of a single company, making the merger presumptively illegal under established antitrust standards.

Read the motion for temporary restraining order in the Nexstar/Tegna merger case (PDF).

Media Contact:
Lawrence Pacheco
Chief Communications Officer
(720) 508-6553 office
lawrence.pacheco@coag.gov

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