The trial to determine if the U.S. Department of Justice can block AT&T Inc.'s $106.40 billion purchase of Time Warner Inc. will begin March 19, 2018, Variety reported.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon reportedly said the trial will last for three weeks, but a decision before April 22, 2018, the deadline agreed upon by AT&T and Time Warner to close the deal, "is not happening."
AT&T wanted the trial to begin Feb. 20, 2018, while the U.S. government proposed the trial to start May 7, 2018.
AT&T and Time Warner announced their merger in October 2016, and the Justice Department sued last month to block the proposed deal.
