A US federal judge orders Paramount Skydance to pause its planned acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery while a legal challenge is considered. Multiple outlets report the court grants a temporary halt in response to a preliminary injunction request. The pause prevents the companies from closing the proposed deal during the period set by the court. Reuters and other cited reports say the pause runs through August 17, with the next hearing scheduled after that date to determine further steps in the case. The deal value is widely cited as $110 billion. Under the court’s ruling, Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery are prohibited from completing the transaction in the US during the temporary suspension. Several reports note that the action is procedural and tied to the ongoing litigation rather than a final decision on whether the acquisition can proceed. The companies must therefore wait for the court to review the injunction motion before the merger can move forward.