July 13 (UPI) -- The attorneys general of 12 states sued Monday to block the proposed merger of Paramount and Warner Bros., saying it would undermine competition in the entertainment industry.

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford filed a lawsuit on Monday challenging Paramount Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, as part of a coalition of a dozen states.

A coalition of 12 states have filed an antitrust lawsuit to block the planned merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery.

A group of 12 states led by Democratic attorneys general on Monday sued to block Paramount Skydance’s $110 billion deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, the sharpest challenge to one of the biggest media and entertainment mergers in history. The purchase would combine some of the biggest names in film, television, streaming and news, including CNN. Warner Bros. shareholders and the U.S. Justice Department have already blessed the deal, but opponents are hopeful that opposition from states or overseas could still upend it. The lawsuit, whose plaintiffs include California Attorney General Rob Bonta and New York Attorney General Letitia James, was filed in federal district court in Northern California on Monday. The states allege that the deal violates federal antitrust law, specifically Section 7 of the Clayton Antitrust Act, which prohibits mergers that reduce competition and create monopolies. “This merger would destroy … competition, creating a massive company with unprecedented power and influence over news and…