Judge Temporarily Pauses Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery Merger Amid Antitrust Lawsuit

A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order pausing Paramount’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery while she considers an antitrust lawsuit brought by a coalition of 12 states (via NBC News).

U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín of the Northern District of California said the order would remain in effect for 14 days. She will hear the states’ request for a preliminary injunction at an August 3rd hearing.

The lawsuit, filed by the attorneys general of 12 states, alleges that Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery are pursuing an “unlawful merger” that “would lead to higher prices, lower quality, and less content for film and television, harming movie theaters, basic cable distributors, and ultimately, audiences on every sofa and movie theater seat in the U.S.”