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US: AT&T, DirecTV deal may add another $50B deal on FCC’s agenda

By  |  May 13, 2014

AT&T is the latest media company reportedly looking to upend the industry as it is looking to acquire cable operator DirecTV in a $50 billion deal.

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    It’s a transaction reports say will likely lead to similar debate, speculation and attention seen by Comcast in its bid to acquire Time Warner Cable. For AT&T, though, the antitrust scrutiny could be worth what it would gain from the buyout: a stronger hold in the cable industry to compliment its current wireless, landline and Internet operations.

    It’s yet another media merger likely to land in the hands of the Federal Communications Commission, which currently has its eye on the Comcast deal as well as Sprint’s supposed plans to acquire wireless rival T-Mobile.

    According to unnamed sources, AT&T is already in discussions to make the acquisition; those sources also said that should the buyout go through, AT&T would continue to run DirecTV as a unit under the telco.

    Full content: Bloomberg

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