Discovery/Hasbro Deal Passes Antitrust Muster

The Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department have cleared the way for toy manufacturer Hasbro to take a 50% stake ($300 million worth) in the new joint venture Discovery Kids channel. The FTC on Wednesday issued an early termination notice of its competitive review of the deal. The deal was required to be submitted for Justice and FTC pre-merger approval per a standard Hart-Scott-Rodino antitrust review for potential anti-competitive harm. There is a set waiting period before the transaction can proceed, but the parties can request that the waiting period be terminated early. That request was granted Tuesday. That means neither the FTC nor the Justice Department plan to file suit to block or condition the deal.