By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Paramount’s attempt to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery hit a speed bump on Monday. U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín granted a 14-day restraining order on Monday following a Friday court hearing. Twelve states, led by California, claimed in a lawsuit that a merger would violate federal antitrust laws. The states are seeking a preliminary injunction to block the merger until the judge rules on the merits of their case. Read more at Variety.com.
Powell’s POV: Tony Khan has spoken favorably about Paramount acquiring WBD and has mentioned that he has a relationship with David Ellison, CEO of Paramount Skydance. Of course, it’s not like Khan would be foolish enough to speak negatively about the merger. AEW’s deal with WBD runs through 2027, and WBD also has an option year for 2028. While I don’t think the preliminary injunction is a problem for AEW, I’m sure the last thing Khan wants is for the merger to drag deep into next year, as I’m sure he’d like to know where he stands with the potential new ownership group as soon as possible so that he can plan accordingly.
(Jason Powell, founder and editor of ProWrestling.net, has covered pro wrestling full-time dating back to 1997. He hosts a weekly podcast, Pro Wrestling Boom, and also appears regularly on the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast. Reach him via email at dotnetjason@gmail.com and on social media via @prowrestlingnet.bsky.social or x.com/prowrestlingnet. For his full bio and information on this website, click here.)
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