Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín on Monday granted a temporary restraining order pausing the Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery merger while she considers a broader antitrust legal challenge brought by a coalition of 12 state attorneys general, led by California AG Rob Bonta.
The order prevents the companies from completing the deal this month but is only in effect for a short period of time.
The states will now seek a preliminary injunction, which could freeze the merger in place for months and pose a major setback for Paramount.
The companies plan to aggressively fight the preliminary injunction request, a hearing for which is scheduled for August 3.
This a developing story and will be updated.
