A US federal judge said she would rule by 22 July on an emergency motion by a coalition of state attorneys general seeking to temporarily block Paramount's $110 billion merger with Warner Bros Discovery. Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín heard 80 minutes of arguments in Oakland but did not issue an immediate decision on the states' request for a temporary restraining order, which would bar the deal from closing for up to 28 days ahead of a further hearing on a preliminary injunction. The case matters because it could delay or ultimately unwind one of the biggest media consolidations in years, reshaping ownership of major film studios and cable networks.

California attorney general Rob Bonta and eleven other states filed suit on Monday, arguing the merger is "presumptively unlawful" and would substantially reduce competition in theatrical distribution and basic cable licensing, leading to higher prices and worse quality. They cite market shares showing the combined company would control about 27% of the box office, over 30% of big-budget wide releases, and more than a quarter of basic cable revenue, spanning brands from MTV and Nickelodeon to TNT and Cartoon Network. Paramount's lawyer, Jeffrey Kessler, disputed these figures as misleading and said the deal will not close by 22 July, coinciding with an expected EU antitrust ruling; Paramount has offered to stipulate a 28-day delay but wants a swift trial to secure a preliminary injunction ruling before 30 September, when a $7 million-a-day fee to Warner Bros Discovery would otherwise kick in.