Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Nexstar-Tegna Merger Amid Antitrust Lawsuit

The Tegna Inc. headquarters in Mclean, Va., on March 20, 2026. Andrew Harnik/Getty ImagesA federal judge on April 17 temporarily blocked Nexstar’s $6.2 billion acquisition of local broadcast station owner Tegna amid antitrust challenges from eight states.U.S. District Court Chief Judge Troy L. Nunley in Sacramento issued a preliminary injunction, finding that plaintiffs were likely to succeed in their claims that the merger would reduce competition in ​local television markets and make it difficult for distributors like DirecTV to reject Nexstar’s demands for higher prices.