Everything You Need To Know About The AT&T/Time Warner Merger

After the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit trying to prevent AT&T and Time Warner from merging in fear of monopolizing the television industry, the judge preceding the case denied the claims that the merger would hurt consumers, and approved the $85 billion deal between the two powerhouses. The ruling was made on Tuesday, and the Department of Justice decided not to seek an injunction on Thursday, making the deal official.

AT&T now owns the rights to HBO, CNN, and titles such as Harry Potter that all fall under the Time Warner and Warner Bros. umbrella. While it might appear to the public as a positive merge, it actually poses a huge threat to the media industry.

AT&T already owned DirecTV, and the Department of Justice feared the acquisition of Time Warner would give the company too much power over other television providers that rely on the Warner’s content, like HBO. Additionally, Donald Trump heavily opposed the deal because of the way CNN criticized him on TV.

In a more positive light, this was the 4th largest media/entertainment deal ever accomplished, which means AT&T is expected to grow significantly. On Tuesday, Time Warner shares rose 5% when the ruling was revealed. The only worry going forward is if AT&T will control too much and begin blocking other internet and television providers access to Time Warner’s content.

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6 years ago