Trefis Says AT&T's DirectTV Plan Will Get Regulatory Clearance

AT&T Inc. T's plan to acquire DirectTV DTV for $49 billion is likely to win regulatory approval over the objections of Netflix, Inc. NFLX.

"We believe that the deal will eventually go through," an anonymous contributor wrote for the financial website Trefis May 12.

The Justice Department and Federal Communications Commission have nearly completed a review of the deal and are unlikely to raise objections, according to a report, also May 12, in The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter.

Separately, Netflix said it recently met with the agency to discuss the merger's effects on competition.

A Netflix spokeswoman told Reuters that Netflix doesn't oppose the merger in principle, but has "been highlighting concerns about AT&T's broadband practices and the need for appropriate remedies since last September."

Comcast Corporation CMCSA's $45 billion plan to acquire Time Warner Cable Inc. TWC got quashed by regulators last month over antitrust issues. But Trefis said the AT&T DirecTV "deal has not been met with similar hostility from the regulatory bodies."

DirecTV's management recently expressed confidence that the deal will be closed by mid-year, Trefis noted.

The FCC paused its deliberations concerning the AT&T's proposal in March to review confidentiality agreements.