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Paramount-Warner Bros. merger halted as California judge grants antitrust restraining order

7/20/2026

A California judge has granted a temporary restraining order blocking the Paramount and Warner Bros. merger, delivering an early courtroom victory to the state attorneys general who brought the antitrust lawsuit.

The order pauses a deal that has drawn scrutiny over its competitive implications for the media industry. The case for the deal is still alive, but the path to closing now runs through a courthouse.

What the order does and does not do A temporary restraining order is a preservation tool. It stops the parties from taking steps to close while the court considers whether a more durable injunction is warranted.

It is not a ruling on the merits of the antitrust case. State attorneys general convinced a California judge that the balance of harms tips toward pausing the transaction while litigation proceeds.

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