Overview
- The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division approved the deal on Friday after an eight‑month review that examined more than 2 million documents and concluded the merger is unlikely to harm competition.
- DOJ granted clearance without requiring divestitures or behavioral conditions, removing the primary federal obstacle to the $110–$111 billion transaction.
- A coalition of state attorneys general led by California’s Rob Bonta is preparing an antitrust lawsuit, which could block or delay closing even after federal sign‑off.
- Regulators abroad and at the FCC are still reviewing the financing, which includes a large personal guarantee from Larry Ellison and non‑voting investments from Gulf sovereign funds, raising separate national‑security and subsidy questions.
- If completed, the combined company would unite major studios, networks and streaming services into a roughly 200 million‑subscriber footprint, prompting industry concern about job cuts, reduced creative opportunities and the future shape of U.S. media competition.