Judge Extends Emergency Order Pausing Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger - Deadline

What the report says

Deadline reported that a federal judge has lengthened an emergency order temporarily blocking Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery from completing their proposed merger. U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín extended the temporary restraining order by two more weeks, keeping the companies from closing the transaction until at least Aug. 17, according to the report published July 23, 2026.

The judge said the extension was intended to allow more time to sort out the next steps in the litigation, including scheduling and the handling of preliminary injunction requests. Deadline reported that Paramount has sought a three-day evidentiary hearing as the court considers whether to issue a preliminary injunction, a longer-lasting order that could keep the deal on hold while the case proceeds.

The challenges involve plaintiffs including a dozen state attorneys general and the Writers Guild of America, which has brought its own lawsuit seeking to stop the merger. Martínez-Olguín directed Paramount and the plaintiffs to confer on a proposed path forward, with a joint report due July 24. An Aug. 3 hearing remained on the calendar, and the judge said the WGA would be allowed to take part.

Deadline noted that the judge’s original temporary restraining order was issued earlier in the week and was set to last 14 days. The latest order matters because it preserves the status quo while the court decides whether the merger should remain paused for a longer period during the legal fight.