Implications of AT&T/Time Warner Decision for Vertical Integration and Media Business Models in the Age of Digitization (Excerpt)

Abstract

This paper discusses the AT&T/Time Warner merger and how the evolution of new business models led to this vertically integrated merger. Using inter-disciplinary insights from competition policy and business management, this article discusses the evolution of business models in the media industry. Following deregulation, convergence and digitization of content, and more recently the emergence of big data, the media industry has seen the evolution of new business models. This paper offering an overview of the AT&T/Time Warner decision, argues that the unconditional approval of the AT&T/Time Warner merger needs to be assessed against this backdrop. The implications of this decision for future cases of vertical integration and more Chicago school style enforcement are also discussed.