https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/21/dojs-lawsuit-to-sink-att-time-warner-deal-is-short-sighted.html

The government is myopic in its argument against the AT&T-Time Warner merger and doesn't comprehend the significant competitive threat from internet disruptors in the digital age. The Justice Department sued on Monday to block AT&T's merger with Time Warner, saying the deal will "substantially lessen competition, resulting in higher prices and less innovation for millions of Americans."

AT&T announced an agreement to acquire Time Warner in October 2016 for a cash and stock deal valued at more than $85 billion. The crux of the government's case is AT&T will be able to leverage the power of Time Warner's content such as HBO's "Game of Thrones" and sports programming on TBS to raise pricing or gain subscribers at the expense of its competitors. But the DOJ's complaint fails to mention how AT&T is aggressively pricing its own innovative DirecTV Now internet TV streaming service, which cannibalizes its own satellite TV business. Consumers of the service have already received significant value ranging from free Apple TV boxes to cheaper HBO subscriptions.