Paramount and Warner Bros pause 110bn merger amid legal challenge

Paramount Skydance and rival Warner Bros Discovery have agreed to pause their $110bn (£82.8bn) The pause follows lawsuits from 12 US states and the Writers Guild of America (WGA), who argue the deal would harm competition and lead to higher prices for consumers. The decision comes just days after European regulators approved the deal, on the condition Paramount would end a major film distribution partnership with Universal Pictures in the region. With the deal on hold in the US, emergency court hearings have now been cancelled. Despite the court freeze, Paramount and Warner Bros insist that combining their operations is essential to compete with digital streaming giants and tech conglomerates.