Judge Temporarily Halts Hollywood Mega Merger

Paramount's planned $110 billion marriage to Warner Bros. Discovery just hit a 14-day red light, reports NBC News. A federal judge in California on Monday temporarily barred Paramount Skydance from closing the mega-deal, siding—for now—with 12 state attorneys general who argue the merger would crush competition across movies, streaming, and cable. A hearing on a longer-lasting injunction is set for Aug. 3.

The two-week restraining order means Paramount will not meet its goal of closing the deal before the end of the month, notes the Wall Street Journal. The next big decision will be whether the judge grants that preliminary injunction, which would block the deal from taking effect while the states' lawsuit winds through the courts.