Comcast is calling off its $45 billion dollar attempt to buy fellow cable provider Time Warner Cable, according to The New York Times. The decision comes after recent reports that both the US Department of Justice and Federal Communications Commission were preparing to turn against the deal after months spent looking into what it would mean for competition in the cable industry. An official announcement that the deal is canceled could come as early as tomorrow, per the NYT’s sources.
Both companies formally revealed their plans to merge last February; shareholders from Time Warner Cable and Comcast signed off on the idea in October. But the huge hurdle of regulatory approval remained. For over a year, Comcast has publicly campaigned in favor of the deal. Arguments against the two pairing up have been far louder and more persistent, however, with critics warning that a combined Comcast and Time Warner Cable would control 40 percent of the US broadband market and also lay claim to a significant hold in cable marketshare. Public opinion toward the deal has skewed largely negative since the start, and it would appear that FCC and Justice Department regulators ultimately joined consumers in that sentiment.
Full Content: The New York Times
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.
Featured News
Australia’s Major Supermarkets Face Scrutiny Over Profit Margins Amid Rising Prices
Mar 21, 2025 by
CPI
Fired FTC Commissioners Warn of Potential White House Influence Over Mergers
Mar 20, 2025 by
CPI
Dr. Matthew Backus Joins Compass Lexecon as an Affiliate
Mar 20, 2025 by
CPI
UK to Boost Broadband Competition While Capping Openreach Charges, Says Ofcom
Mar 20, 2025 by
CPI
Singapore Competition Watchdog Yet to Receive Formal Notification on Grab-GoTo Merger
Mar 20, 2025 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – Self-Preferencing
Feb 26, 2025 by
CPI
Platform Self-Preferencing: Focusing the Policy Debate
Feb 26, 2025 by
Michael Katz
Weaponized Opacity: Self-Preferencing in Digital Audience Measurement
Feb 26, 2025 by
Thomas Hoppner & Philipp Westerhoff
Self-Preferencing: An Economic Literature-Based Assessment Advocating a Case-By-Case Approach and Compliance Requirements
Feb 26, 2025 by
Patrice Bougette & Frederic Marty
Self-Preferencing in Adjacent Markets
Feb 26, 2025 by
Muxin Li