The Justice Department (DOJ) has issued a “second request” to Fox and Roku, seeking additional data and documents as it conducts a closer antitrust review of Fox’s proposed $22 billion acquisition of Roku. This step, while standard in major antitrust examinations, indicates that the DOJ has more questions than can be answered from the companies’ initial filings, suggesting potential concerns about the deal’s impact on competition and consumers ¹.

The acquisition is notable for its potential anticompetitive implications, given Fox’s extensive portfolio of news, sports, and entertainment content, including the ad-supported streaming service Tubi, and Roku’s position as a dominant platform that interfaces between consumers and content. The DOJ’s scrutiny is likely focused on whether a merged entity would afford Fox’s services preferential treatment on Roku’s platform, potentially disadvantaging competing streaming services. Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch has attempted to allay these concerns by asserting that the two businesses would operate independently post-acquisition ¹.

The timing of this investigation is also significant, as it occurs amid broader criticism of the DOJ’s handling of major mergers, with allegations of political influence affecting approval decisions. The Fox-Roku deal, in particular, may serve as a test case for how rigorously the DOJ examines politically sensitive transactions, especially given the Murdochs’ historical ties to former President Trump and the department’s previous scrutiny of media deals involving Trump allies. The deal is anticipated to close in the first half of 2027 ¹.

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Footnotes

1. S. Forristal. “DOJ wants more answers on Fox’s $22B Roku deal.” TechCrunch. September 9, 2026. https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/09/doj-wants-more-answers-on-foxs-22b-roku-deal/ ↩ ↩² ↩³

This is a summary. Read the original at techcrunch.com.