An update in the ongoing drama around the pending merger of media giants Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery: After a group of 12 states led by California sued to block the planned $111 billion merger, claiming it violated antitrust laws, Paramount has agreed to pause the combination of the companies until the conclusion of the upcoming trial. Plaintiffs’ market definitions bear no relationship to the realities of today’s marketplace and cannot withstand scrutiny. Prior to the suit, and now Paramount’s announcement that they will pause the WBD merger until the resolution of it, the company had expected to combine the two companies by the end of 2026. There was a very good reason why they wanted to do that quickly; as reported by The New York Times, “[Paramount] has agreed to pay Warner Bros. shareholders $650 million for each quarter the deal doesn’t close, starting in October.”