AT&T Merger Could Threaten Netflix's & Amazon's Competitive Edge
*By Alisha Haridasani*
AT&T's $85 billion takeover of Time Warner will disrupt traditional broadcast and upend internet streaming, fundamentally changing the way consumers watch TV, said Rich Greenfield, an analyst at BTIG.
With content from HBO, CNN, and Warner Bros., AT&T will launch a "skinny bundle" of 30 channels called AT&T Watch that will be free for all AT&T wireless subscribers, Greenfield said.
“That is going to be a really disruptive move by AT&T,” he added. “It’s going to be interesting to see how the other tech companies react to this.”
Streaming services Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon, which create original programming that reaches consumers directly via the internet, have broken the broadcast and cable TV stranglehold on content, putting pressure on subscription and TV advertising revenue.
“Roughly 20 percent of American households have cut the cord, discontinuing traditional MVPD services,” U.S. District Judge Richard Leon wrote in his [opinion](http://www.dcd.uscourts.gov/sites/dcd/files/17-2511opinion.pdf) approving the AT&T bid. “That number, high as it is, continues to grow.”
The AT&T-Time Warner merger, which is expected to be completed next week, sets the stage for more vertical integrations between content creators and distributors. Comcast is expected to make another [bid](https://cheddar.com/videos/rich-greenfield-murdoch-no-longer-set-on-selling-to-disney-for-stock) for 21st Century Fox’s assets as early as Wednesday in an effort to wrestle it away from Disney. If Comcast is successful, it would marry Fox’s Hollywood studio and its British broadcaster Sky with Comcast's NBC Universal.
Comcast may partner up with other companies to make that offer more attractive for Fox chairman Rupert Murdoch, said Greenfield.
“In order to really beat Disney, they sort of need a stronger balance sheet,” he said.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/why-at-and-ts-victory-is-monumental).
Green tech investments had a stellar 2021 amid a wave of SPAC mergers and massive valuations. But that momentum seems to be slowing down as investors turn to safer companies amid tightening monetary policy and skepticism about profitability and reliability amid SEC investigations. What happens next for this next-generation group of startups? Sophie Karp, an equity research analyst at KeyBanc Capital Markets, joins Closing Bell to discuss.
In late January, NFT company Candy Digital cashed in when a Shohei Ohtani Icon NFT sold for $100,000, breaking the six-figure sale price mark for MLB NFTs for the first time. Scott Lawin, CEO of Candy Digital, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he explains why his company is very excited about the future of digital collectibles and how the Ohtani NFT sale shows consumer confidence in the marketplace.
Sēkr, a mobile app that aims to improve and digitize the outdoor travel experience, announced this week that it raised a $2.25 million seed round. In the Sēkr app, users can get access to more than 50,000 campsites throughout the U.S. including the nation's largest database of free campsites. The company is saying it is on a mission to make every step of the planning experience for outdoor travel easier, safer, and more social. Breanne Acio, co-founder and CEO of Sēkr, and Jess Shisler, co-founder and COO, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Cheddar's Big Game Special gives you all the info you need heading into Sunday's event. Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Davis, Big Game MVP Hines Ward, and Big Game Champion Emmanuel Sanders dissect the action set to take place on the field, Olivia Harlan Dekker delivers her winning wagers, Tom Morton breaks down what we should expect from advertisers, Azia Celestino showcases the atmosphere from Los Angeles, and Baker Machado discusses what viewers should expect to see unfold during the halftime show.
As the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams prep to face each other in the Big Game at SoFi Stadium in LA, 55 percent of a record number of bettors are projected to drop money on the Rams. Casey Clark, the senior vice president of strategic communications for the American Gaming Association, joined Cheddar News to share some data and predictions based on the greater interest in gambling on Super Bowl LVI. "You know that means that people are migrating away from the predatory illegal market and corner bookie and moving their action into the legal marketplace," he said. "So really encouraging for consumer protections and for those of us who might want to have a little action on the game."
Facebook parent Meta and Grammy Award-winning singer Ciara have joined forces to help black female-owned small businesses. Selected businesses will receive marketing mentorship from Meta along with $100,000 to put into their brand. One such business, The Self Care Suite, is a platform that supports mental health, and founder Tara Pringle Jefferson, along with Irene Walker, Meta Elevate founder and program manager, joined Cheddar News to discuss the program. "Having this opportunity with Meta, with Ciara, really will allow us to focus on our virtual programming, to focus on our e-commerce shop, and, as we kind of adjust, to the new normal in 2022," said Pringle Jefferson.
