Elizabeth Warren And Other Democratic Lawmakers Warn Of Antitrust Issues With Fox-Roku Merger

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and other congressional Democrats are warning of antitrust implications in Fox Corp.‘s proposed acquisition of Roku.

In the letter to Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, the Democrats wrote, “Eliminating a significant competitor would reduce consumer choice for free streaming services and could give the combined entity market power to start charging for a previously free service.”

They also sought Woodward’s commitment that the DOJ review of the transaction “will be conducted free from political interference and in an impartial fashion.”

In the letter, they wrote that a “merger between Fox and Roku may also give the combined Fox-Roku entity the incentive to preference and steer viewers to Fox content for the 100 million Roku households, disadvantaging Fox competitors and limiting consumer choice.”

Fox Corp. announced in June a $22 billion deal to acquire Roku, giving it a boost in the free ad supported streaming space. It acquired Tubi six years ago. In a statement announcing the deal, Fox and Roku said both companies were “committed to continuing to operate Roku as an open, partner-friendly platform and to the continued ubiquitous distribution of Fox content.”

A Fox spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment. A DOJ spokesperson could not immediately be reached.