**Just days after a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) to halt the union, Nexstar is hitting back with a blunt reality check: the deal is already done, and trying to undo it now could lead to a regulatory and financial disaster.**

Last Friday, U.S. District Judge Troy Nunley sided with DirecTV, granting a 14-day freeze on the merger. DirecTV’s antitrust lawsuit argues that the combination—which would create a broadcasting titan of 259 stations reaching 80 percent of U.S. households—unfairly tilts the scales of market power.

While the judge’s order was intended to "freeze" the status quo, Nexstar’s legal team argued in a Tuesday filing that there is no status quo left to preserve. Unlike typical mergers that are halted before the ink is dry, Nexstar moved with lightning speed. After receiving FCC approval and seeing no challenge from the Department of Justice, the company officially closed the transaction on March 18.

Nexstar’s lawyers didn't mince words, describing the court’s order as creating a "governance vacuum." According to the filing, the integration process is already so deeply embedded that complying with the TRO is "impossible" in certain areas.

The company highlighted several critical "red zones" created by the court-ordered pause:

* **Securities Violations**: Nexstar is now legally obligated to include Tegna’s financial data in its SEC reports. Forcing a separation could put the company in breach of federal securities laws.

* **Debt Defaults**: The broadcaster warned that interfering with post-closing financial structures could trigger defaults under Nexstar’s existing debt instruments.

* **Operational Blind Spots**: Retransmission agreements for Tegna stations are now governed by Nexstar’s terms—terms that former Tegna personnel do not have access to, leaving stations in a state of administrative paralysis.

Beyond the balance sheets, Nexstar argued that the freeze impacts local journalism. The company had already begun integrating Tegna stations with its Washington, D.C. bureau to bolster coverage for the upcoming midterm elections. Halting this process, Nexstar claims, jeopardizes its commitments to the FCC to expand news content.

In an attempt to prevent "material harm," Nexstar has proposed a list of carve-outs to the judge. They are asking for the authority to:

* Service debt and fulfill security obligations to avoid financial default.

* Appoint officers to oversee Tegna’s day-to-day operations.

* Continue administering existing distribution and retransmission contracts.

DirecTV, for its part, remains skeptical, noting that Nexstar is raising "numerous issues for the first time" in a last-minute attempt to bypass the injunction. A formal response from DirecTV is expected Thursday, with a high-stakes hearing set for April 7 to determine if the merger will remain on ice or be allowed to proceed.

Nexstar Warns Court That Tegna Integration 'Cannot Be Reversed'