WASHINGTON (AP) -- AT&T and Time Warner have completed their merger, one of the biggest media deals ever, just two days after a federal judge approved the combination over objections by the Trump Justice Department that it would hurt consumers.
The merger could shape the way consumers stream TV and movies and how much they pay, and may usher in a new era of accelerating change and deal making in the media and telecom worlds.
The deadline to complete the merger was next week, but the closing came swiftly after the Justice Department signaled it wouldn't ask the court to postpone the merger while it pondered an appeal of the judge's decision.
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled against the government's attempt to block the megamerger on anti-competitive grounds.
