Judge rules on AT&T/Time Warner merger: AT&T WINS

AT&T WINS

Almost two years after AT&T struck a deal to acquire Time Warner for $85.4 billion dollars, a federal judge has ruled that AT&T can acquire Time Warner, rejecting the U.S. Justice Department’s request to block the merger.

The Justice Department filed the antitrust suit late last year, on the grounds the merger would hurt consumers because it could limit competition and raise prices. AT&T and Time Warner countered that deals such as this are necessary to keep pace with streaming rivals like Netflix.

The decision will likely be hailed as a positive sign for other transactions, in the media world and beyond, most immediately Comcast’s potential competing bid for Fox assets.

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