AT&T’s DirecTV Deal Draws Antitrust Probe by States

A group of state attorneys general is examining whether AT&T’s proposed takeover of satellite-television provider DirecTV violates antitrust laws, the Florida Attorney General’s Office said. State attorneys general were already working with the US Justice Department’s antitrust division in a review of Comcast’s purchase of Time Warner Cable. Those states included Florida, Connecticut, Maryland and Ohio. The states’ investigation expands regulatory scrutiny of AT&T’s $48.5 billion deal for DirecTV, which would combine the nation’s largest satellite-TV company with AT&T’s existing packages of wireless, phone and high-speed Internet service. The states’ examination is in addition to reviews by the Justice Department and the Federal Communications Commission.