US: HBO joins Dish in warning over Charter-TWC merger

Time Warner, which spun off its cable TV business in 2009, has a beef with Charter Communications’ proposed acquisition of Time Warner Cable.

Time Warner told the Federal Communications Commission in a regulatory filing that the push into online streaming by its cable channel HBO could be impacted by Charter’s purchase of Time Warner Cable.

According to the filing, statements by Charter management “raise concerns because they suggest that a combined Charter/Time Warner Cable would be inclined to take action directed at programmers in response to the development of ‘over the top’ services with the purpose and/or effect of slowing down the development of OTT options to the detriment of consumers.”

HBO launched a stand-alone, direct-to-consumer Web streaming service in early 2015. Time Warner is under pressure from activist shareholders to spin off either HBO or its Turner Broadcasting division, but its top executives are resisting the move amid M&A speculation.

Full content: Fortune

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