Judge Halts $81B Hollywood Merger | Tucson News

A federal judge has halted the $81 billion Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, granting a 14- to 28-day pause to let 12 states—including Arizona and California—fight the deal in court. The states argue the merger will crush Hollywood competition, raise prices, and cost jobs, calling it an “unlawful merger.” Attorneys General are pushing for a swift halt, fearing the combined giant—containing HBO Max, CNN, Harry Potter, and Top Gun—could dominate the market. Paramount, now owned by Skydance, insists the merger will boost competition and vows to fight back fiercely. A hearing is scheduled for August 3rd to decide if the merger should be permanently blocked. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/e88fa0c7aa39ecb1