They used debt to purchase DirecTV and now they want to debt finance another big acquisition? Doesn't seem like a smart move on their part.
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AT&T in 'Advanced Talks' to Acquire CNN and HBO Parent Company Time Warner [Updated]
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Directv and Time Warner are not in the same business or market. That would be Directv and Time Warner Cable. This is more like when Comcast and NBC Universal became one.
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Time Warner has nothing to do with your broadband. Time Warner Cable is a separate company owned by Charter.
They allowed Comcast and NBC/Universal to merge, so I can see them allowing it.
You can review the Comcast/NBCU deal to see how the feds will view this. They aren't direct competitors (mostly), so the presumption is that the deal will be approved.
There is a vertical issue, as the DOJ/FCC will be afraid of gatekeeper concerns about Time Warner content, i.e., what if AT&T tries to make those exclusive to AT&T? As result, it's a good bet that the DOJ and FCC will impose some restrictions about making TW content available at commercially reasonable rates for some period of time (I'd bet 10 years). The FCC may impose some additional conditions about low income households or something (they often use M&A as an excuse to do this, since they standard of review is "public interest").
They'll impose some behavioral remedies, and the deal will clear. Here's a link to a very detailed, but mostly plain language link from the FCC explaining how they reviewed the Comcast/NBCU deal.
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20th Century Fox...aka FoxNoise...buying CNN.....NO WAY.....Murdoch a foreigner who bought his citizenship through Reagan...needs to just lay down and sleep forever.
Not going to happen. This would leave too many people with only one choice for an internet provider.
Time Warner is not an ISP.
I don't see why this wouldn't be allowed by regulators.
Time Warner (not TWC) is a media company and AT&T/DirecTV are distribution companies.
Merging "should" reduce programming acquisition costs.
I'm sure AT&T won't pass that savings along to customers, but from a regulatory perspective, I don't see any major issues with it.
I'm sure the feds will put limitations on exclusivity arrangements for content to prevent AT&T from blocking other carriers from getting TW content.
Time Warner (not TWC) is a media company and AT&T/DirecTV are distribution companies.
Merging "should" reduce programming acquisition costs.
I'm sure AT&T won't pass that savings along to customers, but from a regulatory perspective, I don't see any major issues with it.
I'm sure the feds will put limitations on exclusivity arrangements for content to prevent AT&T from blocking other carriers from getting TW content.
When AT&T bought Direct TV, it included the audience network which has "Kingdom" -- a favorite show of mine. Shortly afterward, Kingdom was pulled from iTunes and every other similar distributor. You can only watch that show if you are a subscriber to Direct TV now as far as I can tell (legally anyway)
Based on that, I'm very wary of this acquisition. Hopefully, regulators will force AT&T to not monopolize the programs that are part of the Time Warner portfolio by making everyone subscribe to Direct TV.
Based on that, I'm very wary of this acquisition. Hopefully, regulators will force AT&T to not monopolize the programs that are part of the Time Warner portfolio by making everyone subscribe to Direct TV.
Time Warner Cable doesn't exist anymore. It was bought by Charter and became Spectrum Cable.
AT&T is in "advanced talks" to acquire media company Time Warner, and a deal could be finalized as early as this weekend, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Bloomberg on Thursday said senior executives at AT&T and Time Warner met in recent weeks to discuss a possible merger, but it said the talks were informal at that stage.Time Warner CEO Jeffrey Bewkes has previously told investors he would entertain a sale of the media company, but only if it feels the price is right. In 2014, Bewkes and his board reportedly turned down an $85-a-share offer from 21st Century Fox, which valued Time Warner at more than $75 billion.
AT&T, looking to add more content and original programming, would gain a number of valuable assets from Time Warner, including CNN, HBO, TBS, TNT, NBA basketball, Cartoon Network and the Warner Bros. film and TV studio. Popular series airing on those networks include, among others, Game of Thrones and Silicon Valley.
New York Post sources said Apple was a possible suitor to purchase Time Warner earlier this year, which Financial Times later said was an idea proposed by Apple's services chief Eddy Cue. The discussions reportedly never progressed beyond the preliminary stage, however, and did not involve Apple CEO Tim Cook or Bewkes.
An acquisition would have provided Apple with content for its much-rumored streaming TV service, which it has reportedly placed on hold due to difficulties in negotiating deals. It was reported the Netflix-like service would have offered a skinny bundle of channels, including ABC, CBS, and FOX, as part of a monthly subscription.
An AT&T-Time Warner acquisition would likely be closely examined by federal regulators.
Article Link: AT&T in 'Advanced Talks' to Acquire CNN and HBO Parent Company Time Warner
Finally! I'll have one source for all my news and media and access to it!
So, nobody talked to Eddy Cue. Maybe he talked to himself?
I do that sometimes and rarely get opposition.
ATT will be able to monopolize the shows, because they are free to offer only what they want and how they want to distribute their products.
Same as if somebody sells a product only at Macy's . To get it you have to shop at Macy's.
Leaves two options, buy it there or do not buy at all and live without that product.
Same here, except the more you increase distribution, the more $$$.
Maybe 6 months exclusives and then release for everybody or the pirates will come!
I do that sometimes and rarely get opposition.
ATT will be able to monopolize the shows, because they are free to offer only what they want and how they want to distribute their products.
Same as if somebody sells a product only at Macy's . To get it you have to shop at Macy's.
Leaves two options, buy it there or do not buy at all and live without that product.
Same here, except the more you increase distribution, the more $$$.
Maybe 6 months exclusives and then release for everybody or the pirates will come!
And what would you expect to happen when Apple owns AT&T.... besides a monthly service fees increase?
I switch back in a heartbeat...as long as the name changes to "Apple Wireless" or something lol
Seriously. Why do we want Apple running AT&T? Why do think that's something Apple will be good at?
Seriously, the company should have changed their names a long time ago. These are all separate companies:
-Time Warner
-Time Warner Cable (now Charter)
-TW Telecom (a business-only ISP, now part of Level3)
-Time Inc (Magazines, spun off 2014)
-Time-Life (Books and music box sets, sold 2003)
-Warner Music Group (Spun off 2004, now private)
After what we have seen in this election, I am not sure that CNN is worth anything any more.
comcast bought out NBC, so I think its something that could happen