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AT&T Acquires Time Warner for 85 Billion Dollars.

WeedLordVegetaWeedLordVegeta Registered User regular
The Verge has a quick rundown of the merger and some potential ramifications.

Normally wouldn't post a thread for this but A) it's a LOT of money, 2) there are a lot of very big names involved, the fallout of this will probably be a developing story for months.

Posts

  • MaddocMaddoc I'm Bobbin Threadbare, are you my mother? Registered User regular
    edited October 2016
    And we move closer to all entertainment being owned by a single mega corp

    Maddoc on
  • King RiptorKing Riptor Registered User regular
    I'm pretty sure this won't be allowed to go through the conflict of interest is absurd. Like maybe they were banking on President Trump

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  • Speed RacerSpeed Racer Scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratchRegistered User regular
    Let it go through and then slam the new company with every monopoly law and shatter it and scatter the pieces to the four winds

    I don't know anything about anti trust law

  • Indie WinterIndie Winter die Krähe Rudi Hurzlmeier (German, b. 1952)Registered User regular
    deal includes batman

    wY6K6Jb.gif
  • DedwrekkaDedwrekka Metal Hell adjacentRegistered User regular
    Let it go through and then slam the new company with every monopoly law and shatter it and scatter the pieces to the four winds

    I don't know anything about anti trust law

    They did this with Bell Telephone, but over the years the companies created from that ruling merged. Who did they merge into?


    AT&T.

  • ToxTox I kill threads he/himRegistered User regular
    I'm curious how this will play out. For two main reasons

    1- apparently this doesn't include Time Warner Cable, the ISP, which is actually owned by Charter/Spectrum now? So they may be able to avoid monopoly issues wrt service providers

    2- Comcast bought NBC Universal already, and that went through, so I'm not sure how much different this is from that?

    Either way, will be very interesting to see how this plays out. I read an article on NYT that reported Trump when asked said he would block it, saying it was too much power concentrated into the hands of too few (I'm sure that was said without a shred of irony or self-awareness)

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  • Raijin QuickfootRaijin Quickfoot I'm your Huckleberry YOU'RE NO DAISYRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    Don't they already own Directv?

  • ToxTox I kill threads he/himRegistered User regular
    Don't they already own Directv?

    Yup, and recently AT&T announced they were de-emphasizing their U-Verse tv service in favor of DirectTV

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  • WeedLordVegetaWeedLordVegeta Registered User regular
    Don't they already own Directv?

    bought them last year for about half what they paid for this deal

  • ToxTox I kill threads he/himRegistered User regular
    edited October 2016
    relevant New York Times article

    e: random fact from this article: Verizon bought Huffinton Post

    Tox on
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  • WeedLordVegetaWeedLordVegeta Registered User regular
    Tox wrote: »
    relevant New York Times article

    e: random fact from this article: Verizon bought Huffinton Post

    also from this article: we almost got a timeline where FOX owned WB

  • DedwrekkaDedwrekka Metal Hell adjacentRegistered User regular
    Tox wrote: »
    I'm curious how this will play out. For two main reasons

    1- apparently this doesn't include Time Warner Cable, the ISP, which is actually owned by Charter/Spectrum now? So they may be able to avoid monopoly issues wrt service providers

    2- Comcast bought NBC Universal already, and that went through, so I'm not sure how much different this is from that?

    Either way, will be very interesting to see how this plays out. I read an article on NYT that reported Trump when asked said he would block it, saying it was too much power concentrated into the hands of too few (I'm sure that was said without a shred of irony or self-awareness)

    Time Warner bought Spectrum, classified the ISP under their name and split off the ISP services last month.
    So almost certainly in regards to this deal.

  • BroloBrolo Broseidon Lord of the BroceanRegistered User regular
    look, it's easier for corporations to serve the public interest, if they unite and strengthen via a merge:

  • DarkPrimusDarkPrimus Registered User regular
    Let me know when I can get my holographic tattoos and hacker deck.

  • rhylithrhylith Death Rabbits HoustonRegistered User regular
    http://fortune.com/2016/10/22/att-time-warner-strategy-vs-price/

    This is an astronomically bad idea to let this go through.

  • JebusUDJebusUD Adventure! Candy IslandRegistered User regular
    Let it go through and then slam the new company with every monopoly law and shatter it and scatter the pieces to the four winds

    I don't know anything about anti trust law

    Current implementation of anti trust law is basically some hearings and a rubber stamp.

    Where is Teddy Roosevelt when you need him?

    I write you a story
    But it loses its thread
  • Speed RacerSpeed Racer Scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratchRegistered User regular
    JebusUD wrote: »
    Let it go through and then slam the new company with every monopoly law and shatter it and scatter the pieces to the four winds

    I don't know anything about anti trust law

    Current implementation of anti trust law is basically some hearings and a rubber stamp.

    Where is Teddy Roosevelt when you need him?

    He's too busy resisting religious conversion in my Civ 6 game

  • BrainleechBrainleech 機知に富んだコメントはここにあります Registered User regular
    JebusUD wrote: »
    Let it go through and then slam the new company with every monopoly law and shatter it and scatter the pieces to the four winds

    I don't know anything about anti trust law

    Current implementation of anti trust law is basically some hearings and a rubber stamp.

    Where is Teddy Roosevelt when you need him?

    Get a shovel and a Necromancer

  • Mr. GMr. G Registered User regular
    Wasn't Comcast trying to buy Time Warner last year, and it actually got blocked?

    I don't see how that doesn't go through and this does

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  • rhylithrhylith Death Rabbits HoustonRegistered User regular
    Mr. G wrote: »
    Wasn't Comcast trying to buy Time Warner last year, and it actually got blocked?

    I don't see how that doesn't go through and this does

    They were trying to buy Time Warner Cable specifically, and it was blocked because it would have only extended their regional monopolies and given them too much influence on programming.

    This is different, but it should be blocked because it's just too much consolidation of power.

  • PiptheFairPiptheFair Frequently not in boats. Registered User regular
    JebusUD wrote: »
    Let it go through and then slam the new company with every monopoly law and shatter it and scatter the pieces to the four winds

    I don't know anything about anti trust law

    Current implementation of anti trust law is basically some hearings and a rubber stamp.

    Where is Teddy Roosevelt when you need him?

    absolutely not true at all

  • HacksawHacksaw J. Duggan Esq. Wrestler at LawRegistered User regular
    There's no way the government lets this go through. I will eat Batman's hat if they let it happen.

  • rhylithrhylith Death Rabbits HoustonRegistered User regular
    The key thing in that article I linked is that AT&T is sitting on 10 bil in debt due in a year and over 100 long term BEFORE this deal, which would then cost them 85 billion cash and stocks + add Time Warner's 22 bil in debt to its own load.

  • GoldenSeducerGoldenSeducer AAAAAUGH!! Registered User regular
    It's only a matter of time before Disney decides to buy everything.

  • MaddocMaddoc I'm Bobbin Threadbare, are you my mother? Registered User regular
    It's only a matter of time before Disney decides to buy everything.

    It's only a matter of time until we're all citizens of Disneyland, the Disney Dollar replacing USD

  • OlivawOlivaw good name, isn't it? the foot of mt fujiRegistered User regular
    rhylith wrote: »
    The key thing in that article I linked is that AT&T is sitting on 10 bil in debt due in a year and over 100 long term BEFORE this deal, which would then cost them 85 billion cash and stocks + add Time Warner's 22 bil in debt to its own load.

    Okay so every single aspect of this deal is insane, then

    Got it

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  • SorceSorce Not ThereRegistered User regular
    Maddoc wrote: »
    It's only a matter of time before Disney decides to buy everything.

    It's only a matter of time until we're all citizens of Disneyland, the Disney Dollar replacing USD
    Down with Disneyland!

    Up with Disney World!

    No one cares about Euro Disney!

    Tokyo Disney is probably okay, I guess!

    sig.gif
  • DouglasDangerDouglasDanger PennsylvaniaRegistered User regular
    I'm struggling to understand the scale of this.

  • StericaSterica Yes Registered User, Moderator mod
    Dedwrekka wrote: »
    Let it go through and then slam the new company with every monopoly law and shatter it and scatter the pieces to the four winds

    I don't know anything about anti trust law

    They did this with Bell Telephone, but over the years the companies created from that ruling merged. Who did they merge into?


    AT&T.
    AT&T was the target of the Bell breakup, and one of the new (smaller) companies that came out of thatwas also named AT&T. History repeats.

    YL9WnCY.png
  • HacksawHacksaw J. Duggan Esq. Wrestler at LawRegistered User regular
    I'm struggling to understand the scale of this.

    It's 85 billion dollars worth of bullshit, plus 30ish billion dollars of debt.

  • ZoelZoel I suppose... I'd put it on Registered User regular
    what would anderson cooper do

    (Get a job at Newshour like most people before him)

    A magician gives you a ring that, when worn, will let you see the world as it truly is.
    However, the ring will never leave your finger, and you will be unable to ever describe to another living person what you see.
  • JedocJedoc In the scuppers with the staggers and jagsRegistered User regular
    Sorce wrote: »
    Maddoc wrote: »
    It's only a matter of time before Disney decides to buy everything.

    It's only a matter of time until we're all citizens of Disneyland, the Disney Dollar replacing USD
    Down with Disneyland!

    Up with Disney World!

    No one cares about Euro Disney!

    Tokyo Disney is probably okay, I guess!

    Fuck you, Disneyland is clearly superior.

    Also, there's no way this merger is legal, right? Like there have been way less crazy mergers blocked under antitrust laws. AT&T owning Time-Warner is just an absurd monopoly on the face of it. Right, folks?

    Right?

    GDdCWMm.jpg
  • JebusUDJebusUD Adventure! Candy IslandRegistered User regular
    PiptheFair wrote: »
    JebusUD wrote: »
    Let it go through and then slam the new company with every monopoly law and shatter it and scatter the pieces to the four winds

    I don't know anything about anti trust law

    Current implementation of anti trust law is basically some hearings and a rubber stamp.

    Where is Teddy Roosevelt when you need him?

    absolutely not true at all

    Saying it's a rubber stamp is a little blasé, but we are a lot more friendly towards integration and large corporations than at earlier points in history. I mean, how long has too big to fail continued without real action ?

    I write you a story
    But it loses its thread
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