Part 5/11:
One critical element in any large acquisition is regulatory approval, primarily from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). A common concern involves whether the purchase would run afoul of antitrust laws or FCC rules related to broadcast and spectrum rights.
However, experts point out that Warner Brothers' assets are primarily cable and streaming services such as HBO, TNT, and Discovery. They lack traditional over-the-air broadcast licenses, which are the main regulatory concern for FCC approval. Consequently, the main obstacle is likely to be the FTC, which examines monopolistic tendencies and market fairness.