Fox-Roku deal poised to clear Justice Department scrutiny under consent decree, despite conservative pressure

Fox's $22 billion acquisition of Roku is expected to advance under a consent decree despite conservative opposition, according to sources familiar with the matter. The nature of the consent decree and the specific terms being negotiated remain unclear. The Department of Justice (DOJ) may reconsider its stance on the deal. Fox refrained from providing a comment, while Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward also declined to comment on the deal.

However, Woodward affirmed that the DOJ, under President Trump's leadership, will continue to prioritize affordability for all Americans across the economy.

The proposed merger would combine Fox's content empire, which includes news and sports, with Roku's dominant connected-TV operating system. Rivals have expressed concerns that Fox may favor its own content in the combined entity. Roku's free, ad-supported channels also compete with Fox-owned Tubi for viewers and content. Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch stated his expectation to run the two businesses separately while selling advertising across them.

Antitrust regulators widened their scrutiny of the deal in September, following pressure from Newsmax majority owner Chris Ruddy, who is a Trump confidant and has had a long-standing rivalry with Fox owner Rupert Murdoch. Ruddy has been embroiled in a feud with Fox for over a year over streaming access to his media assets. Despite Fox's dismissal of Newsmax's efforts as an attempt to "sue their way out of their own competitive failures," Ruddy's actions have created uncertainty around the deal.

The Murdoch family has previously downplayed Newsmax's actions, and Murdoch himself has dined with Trump multiple times. However, the successful completion of the deal would highlight the enduring influence of the Murdoch name in Washington.