Federal judge halts Paramount Warner Bros merger for two weeks

A US judge has temporarily blocked a $110 billion merger between Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery. Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín issued the order on July 20, 2026, pausing the deal for 14 days. Twelve state attorneys general, led by California, brought the lawsuit. They argued that the combined company would be too dominant and would reduce competition in the media industry. The judge agreed there was enough evidence that the merger could break antitrust laws, which exist to prevent any one company from controlling too much of a market. The pause gives the states time to make their full case in court. The delay is costly for Paramount, which could lose millions of dollars for every day the merger does not go ahead.