Nexstar's $6.2 billion acquisition of rival TV station group owner Tegna is put on hold after a federal judge ruled that the merger is likely to violate antitrust laws based on the combined firm's market share. The deal would provide Nexstar, already the largest TV station in the U.S., with Tegna's footprint and give the combined company reach across 80% of U.K. TV households. However, this has been delayed due to legal challenges alleging that the deal violates antitrust laws. Judge Troy Nunley issued a 14-day temporary restraining order blocking the merger, in response to a lawsuit filed by DirecTV. The companies will operate separately and may not share any “competitively sensitive” information, including information related to retransmission fee negotiations.