DOJ seeks more information on $22 billion Roku deal after Trump blasts ouster of Fox News host
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Set us as preferred Fox Corp.’s $22 billion acquisition of San Jose-based Roku, operator of streaming services and seller of hardware devices, seemed like a straight-forward deal when it was announced in June: A growing media company was looking to bolster its presence in the fast-growing streaming industry.But, on Wednesday, the Trump administration weighed in.Fox Corp.and Roku said that the companies received requests from the DOJ on Tuesday for additional information in connection with the department’s review of the merger.
While Fox and Roku downplayed the requests, saying that they had expected the outreach, the timing of the move raised eyebrows among some analysts, who said it could signal further scrutiny of the transaction by the DOJ.“The president has been outspoken on the fact that he will take retaliatory action against networks that say things that he doesn’t agree with, or they do things that he doesn’t agree with,” said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at advisory services firm Enderle Group.The action follows President Trump’s surprise over Fox’s ouster of anchor Maria Bartiromo.
She was pushed out after she had shared internal company texts with the Trump White House, which sources told the Times may have been the breaking point.Trump said on social media that he couldn’t believe that Bartiromo will no longer have her shows on Fox.“Her fans, of which there are many, will not be happy,” he wrote on Truth Social on Sept.
3.Hollywood Inc.
The deal will combine the Murdoch family’s media assets, which include broadcast channels, with the San José-based streaming company that has 100 million viewers.A DOJ spokesperson said the department could not comment on pending matters but said in a statement: “We can affirm that this DOJ under President Trump’s leadership will continue to pri...