A federal court in California has temporarily blocked Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Oakland-based US District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín put the $110 billion deal on hold for two weeks.
The restriction may be extended for another two weeks. The next hearing is scheduled for August 3.
The decision came in response to a lawsuit filed by attorneys general from 12 Democratic-led states. They are seeking to block the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger permanently.
Paramount Skydance agreed to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in early 2026 after offering more favorable terms than Netflix.
Both companies rank among the five largest US film distributors and owners of cable television networks. The deal would combine two leading film studios, their content libraries and the Paramount+ and HBO Max streaming services.
The plaintiffs estimate that the new company would control nearly a third of the markets for theatrical distribution and cable programming. The attorneys general argue that such concentration could harm movie theaters, cable operators and viewers.
Paramount Skydance is led by David Ellison, the son of Oracle founder and billionaire Larry Ellison. Donald Trump publicly backed Paramount in the contest for Warner Bros. and called the Ellisons “friends of mine.”
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