In this Oct. 24, 2016, file photo, the AT&T logo is positioned above one of its retail stores in New York. Opening arguments in the federal government's case to block AT&T's efforts to gobble up Time Warner have been postponed until Thursday, March 22, 2018. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

Opening arguments in the federal government's case to block AT&T's efforts to gobble up Time Warner have been postponed until Thursday.

The outcome of the trial could shape how you get—and how much you pay for—streaming TV and movies.

AT&T says it needs to buy Time Warner to compete with the likes of Amazon, Netflix and Google in the rapidly evolving world of .

The Justice Department's antitrust lawyers worry that consumers will end up paying more to watch their favorite shows, whether on a TV screen, smartphone or tablet.

Opening arguments had been expected Wednesday in Washington, which was experiencing a snowstorm. Preliminary matters in the trial started earlier in the week.

© 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.