Comcast/NBCU DreamWorks Deal Gets Government OK

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Government regulators overseeing merger reviews have no problems with Comcast/NBCU's $3.8 billion deal to buy DreamWorks animation.

That is according to the list of deals granted early termination of their antitrust reviews by the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission.

Any deal valued at north of about $75 million (it is occasionally adjusted) must get a Hart-Scott-Rodino antitrust review.

The early termination means that the government found no reason to block the deal or sue to apply conditions that would address anti-competitive concerns.

Following the completion of the transaction, DreamWorks Animation CEO and co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg will become chairman of DreamWorks New Media, which will comprised the company’s ownership interests in Awesomeness TV and NOVA. Katzenberg will also serve as a consultant to NBCUniversal.

The deal is expected to close by year's end.

Mike Farrell contributed to this story.

John Eggerton
John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.