WSJ: Regulators will likely approve AT&T/DirecTV merger

AT&T's $48.5 billion DirecTV acquisition likely won't go the way of Comcast's similarly-sized play for Time Warner Cable, which saw plenty of regulator pushback. The FCC and Justice Department are nearing the end of their review of the deal, and at this point it looks like they won't be blocking it, sources tell the Wall Street Journal. Regulators might still end up placing conditions on the deal, however. It's not hard to see why the FCC and DOJ find the AT&T/DirecTV union more palatable than the Comcast deal. While the combined company will be a major media player, it won't monopolize services in any meaningful way. AT&T has also committed to bringing broadband to more rural areas as part of the deal, which likely made the feds warm up to the offer. The WSJ notes that final regulatory approval for the deal could be "weeks away" -- expect things to wrap up quickly once that happens.

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