News: Starting in Oct., Paramount will pay about $7 million a day in ticking fees to Warner Bros. shareholders for every day its purchase of WB hasn’t closed. With the antitrust trial set to begin March 2, the company will have paid more than $1 billion in those fees before it gets its day in court.

The Paramount-WB antitrust trial is set for March 2. Here’s the judge’s scheduling order:

News: Paramount Skydance has asked a judge to set its antitrust trial for November. Meanwhile, the group of states suing to block the company’s purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery has asked for it to be scheduled in April. A Paramount spokesperson says:

California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, who is leading the states’ challenge to the Paramount-WB merger, called today's procedural agreement “great news for audiences” and a win for theaters and workers.

In a statement, a Paramount spokesperson calls the new framework of the states' antitrust case — Paramount won’t close its acquisition of Warner Bros. or begin integrating the companies until after the court rules on the merits of the case or 6/1/2027, whichever comes first — a "significant win."

Major procedural shift in the Paramount-Warner Bros. antitrust case: The states and Paramount have agreed to freeze the merger. Paramount won’t close its acquisition of WB or begin integrating the companies until after the court rules on the merits of the case or 6/1/27, whichever comes first.

Paramount antitrust litigation news: Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín extended the temporary restraining order blocking the Paramount–Warner Bros. merger for another two weeks, through Aug. 17. She said more time is needed, in part, to resolve disputes over the hearing schedule.

In a filing today in the multistate antitrust case challenging its proposed merger w/ Warner Bros., Paramount said the states are seeking an “extraordinary and drastic remedy” by asking a judge to halt the deal without first holding an evidentiary hearing. The company is asking for one in August.

NEWS: The European Commission has formally approved Paramount Skydance's purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery, underscoring the starkly different view it took from the 12 Democratic state attorneys general whose antitrust lawsuit aims to stop the merger. Paramount's press release:

News: In a huge win for L.A. movie lovers, Alamo Drafthouse, in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment, will restore and reopen the legendary Cinerama Dome in Hollywood. The companies will also transform the adjacent former ArcLight complex into a 14-screen Alamo Drafthouse.

I talked to CA AG Rob Bonta about his court win in the suit challenging the Paramount-WB deal. He pushed back on conservative claims that the suit is politically motivated, saying it is not "anti-Trump.” Bonta: "Today's court decision puts a lie to that allegation.” www.politico.com/news/2026/07...

Bonta says Paramount litigation isn’t ‘anti-Trump’

The California attorney general insisted in an interview with POLITICO that his antitrust litigation is about competition, not politics.

politico.com

Paramount has issued a statement after a judge granted a temporary restraining order pausing the company’s purchase of Warner Bros. for 14 days. A Paramount spokesperson said:

CA Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, who is leading the states' challenge to the Paramount-WB merger, scored a victory after the court issued a temporary restraining order pausing the deal for 14 days. Bonta called it a "critical first win in our case to ensure this megamerger never sees the light of day."

NEWS: The judge in the states' antitrust case challenging the Paramount-WB merger has granted the plaintiff's motion for a temporary restraining order, pausing the blockbuster deal for 14 days. In that time, Paramount cannot close the transaction.

Fascinating to hear the films both sides kept invoking in the Paramount-WB antitrust hearing. "Obsession" and "F1" came up repeatedly. Most interestingly, both sides cited "F1" — Apple's movie, distributed theatrically by Warner Bros. — to support opposing arguments.

NEWS: The judge will not rule from the bench today on the states' request for a temporary restraining order freezing the Paramount-Warner merger. She said she'll issue a decision by July 22.

Lots of talk in the Paramount-WB hearing about "unscrambling the eggs." In antitrust law, that's shorthand for the idea that once a merger closes, it's hard to separate the companies again. Since photos of the hearing aren't allowed, here's a pic of some A+ eggs I recently had.

The hearing in the Paramount-WB antitrust case is now covering scheduling, which is especially significant for Paramount, because it is on the hook for huge ticking fees — approximately $7 million per day — if it can't close the $111 billion transaction by the end of September.

The hearing for a temporary restraining order in the states' antitrust challenge of the Paramount-WB merger has begun. In her opening remarks, the judge does not initially indicate how she is inclined to rule re: the request for a TRO — which would immediately freeze the merger.

CA Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, who is leading the antitrust suit challenging the Paramount-WB deal, is up for reelection — and is poised to win. But I wondered what his opponent, Michael Gates, thinks of the AG's case. For starters, the Republican doesn't oppose the deal. His remarks:

Judge Martínez-Olguín denied the motion for a preliminary injunction brought by consumers seeking to block Paramount's purchase of WB. It's a small win for Paramount, and the ruling may offer clues about how the judge is thinking about the legal issues ahead of the states' bid to halt the deal.

The Paramount-Warner Bros. antitrust case led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta has been reassigned to Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin, who is already handling a separate lawsuit brought by consumers challenging the merger. The TRO hearing in the states' case remains set for Fri.

News: On @kqedforum.bsky.social today, CA AG Rob Bonta offered his most detailed comments yet on what a settlement in his antitrust challenge to the Paramount-WB deal could look like. Here is his response when asked if there were concessions he'd be open to in a settlement. Key part is highlighted.

On @kqednews.kqed.org today, Rob Bonta offered his most detailed comments yet on what a settlement in his legal challenge to the Paramount-WB sale could look like. He said potential concessions could include separating "a suite of cable channels," "a news channel," or "a film studio" from the deal.

The antitrust suit opposing the Paramount-WB deal contains a fun surprise. It opens w/ a list of iconic films the studios have produced, including “The Godfather,” “Titanic,” and “Casablanca.” And then, nestled among them: “Before Sunset,” the Ethan Hawke–Julie Delpy indie. Who’s the Linklater fan?

Amid the California-led effort to block Paramount's purchase of Warner Bros., the state of Tennessee has invited the David Ellison-owned studio to relocate there. www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/bus...

For those tracking the Paramount-Warner Bros. antitrust litigation, mark your calendars: A hearing on the states' request for a temporary restraining order is set for Friday. Another key date is July 22 — the day by which the attorneys general have asked the judge to rule.

It’s been a wild 24 hours in Hollywood. To make sense of the antitrust suit against the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, I spoke w/ Lindsey Holden for a Q&A. Check it out in the California Playbook PM: www.politico.com/newsletters/...

The fight over Hollywood’s future

California is mounting a fight over a Hollywood merger that could reshape the state’s signature industry, with Attorney General Rob Bonta on Monday announcing a coalition of states suing to keep Param...

politico.com

Breaking: The Writers Guild of America has sued Paramount and Warner Bros. to block the companies' merger. The union alleges that the transaction violates federal antitrust law and would leave writers with fewer opportunities, lower compensation and worse working conditions.

A day after 12 states sued to block the Paramount-Warner Bros. deal, the historical Hollywood echoes are striking. Seventy-eight years ago, the U.S. won its landmark antitrust case against Paramount Pictures — yes, Paramount — dismantling the vertically integrated studio system.