Paramount Skydance’s proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery has been temporarily halted after a federal judge granted a request from 12 state attorneys general seeking to block the deal.
US District Judge Araceli Martínez Olguín issued a temporary restraining order Monday preventing Paramount from completing the acquisition for 14 days. A hearing on the states’ request for a preliminary injunction is scheduled for Aug. 3.
A preliminary injunction would prevent the transaction from closing while the broader antitrust lawsuit proceeds, potentially delaying the merger for months.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta led the coalition’s lawsuit, which was filed on July 13. The states allege that combining two of Hollywood’s five remaining major studios would substantially reduce competition and violate Section 7 of the Clayton Antitrust Act.
The proposed transaction would place Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. under the same ownership while combining Paramount+ and HBO Max. It would also unite CBS and CNN within an entertainment group controlled by Paramount CEO David Ellison.
