Time Warner's Disenchantment With OTT Could Lead to DOJ Inquiry, Guggenheim's Gallant Says
A Justice Department probe into media companies possibly coordinating their efforts on over-the-top (OTT) arrangements wouldn't be surprising, given Time Warner's move to increasingly eschew licensing its content for OTT consumption, Guggenheim Partners analyst Paul Gallant said in a note…
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to subscribers Monday. Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes recently indicated the company is considering forgoing or delaying such content licensing, and that, coupled with the DOJ's investigation into airline collusion, means the agency could easily at least investigate for signs of media company collusion regarding OTT, Gallant said. "It may well be the case that media company executives have not privately discussed restricting the sale of content to OTTs," he said, saying a DOJ investigation would mean it could order the companies to turn over internal documents, meeting calendars and emails that might contain any evidence of collusion.