Fox’s $22 billion Roku deal poised to clear U.S. antitrust review - Semafor

Fox's proposed $22 billion acquisition of streaming platform Roku is poised to clear U.S. Justice Department scrutiny and proceed under a consent decree, despite opposition from an ally of President Donald Trump, Semafor reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the deliberations.

The terms of any consent decree remain unclear, and the Justice Department could still change its position, the people told Semafor. Fox declined to comment, while Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward also declined to discuss the transaction.

Woodward said in a statement to Semafor that the department under Trump's leadership would continue to prioritise affordability for Americans.

The proposed deal would combine Fox's news and sports content businesses with Roku's connected-TV operating system, raising concerns among competitors that Fox could give preferential treatment to its own programming, according to Semafor.

Roku's free, advertising-supported streaming channel also competes with Tubi, which is owned by Fox. Fox Chief Executive Lachlan Murdoch has previously said he expects the two businesses to operate separately, while allowing advertising to be sold across both platforms, Semafor reported.

The transaction has faced heightened antitrust scrutiny following pressure from Newsmax majority owner Chris Ruddy, a Trump ally who has had a long-running dispute with Fox over streaming access for his media assets. Semafor first reported in September that regulators were broadening their investigation before the companies confirmed they had received a so-called second request, an enhanced antitrust review.

Investors had been concerned that the regulatory process could delay or derail the acquisition.