iWorld
AT&T, Time Warner’s merger cleared by court
MUMBAI: 20 months after AT&T’s announced its potential deal for Time Warner, the US District Court for the District of Columbia has cleared the merger between the two giant companies. The ruling will now enable AT&T to purchase Time Warner for $85 billion.
Many analysts see the judgment as a blow to the Donald Trump administration that was not in favour of the deal.
US district judge Richard Leon said the government’s objections “rested on improper notions”. The deal will enable AT&T to acquire Time Warner’s blue-chip media properties including HBO and CNN.
“We are pleased that, after conducting a full and fair trial on the merits, the Court has categorically rejected the government’s lawsuit to block our merger with Time Warner,” AT&T General Counsel David McAtee said in a statement.
The statement also mentioned the plan to close the merger on or before June 20. Vanity Fair’s intrepid media writer Joe Pompeo has reported that AT&T will rename Time Warner soon.
The merger will bring change in the field of online distribution of content. AT&T will have a big library of content including big hits like HBO’s “Game of Thrones”.
With the emergence of giants like Netflix and Amazon, it has been often said that content creation and distribution needs innovation to survive against their onslaught.
With AT&T and its considerable finanacial clout now in the mix, the market dynamics are bound to change, impacting all the key players.
Also Read:
Time Warner shareholders approve merger with AT&T
AT&T unveils live video streaming service, DirecTV Now
eNews
Piyush Thakur steps down as Inshorts’ chief revenue officer
Former vice president and cro says exit marks a new chapter after close to a decade of building revenue and partnerships at Inshorts Group.
NOIDA: Piyush Thakur has stepped away from Inshorts Group after nearly 10 years with the company, marking the end of a long tenure that culminated in his role as chief revenue officer.
In a farewell note, Thakur said he was “turning a new page” after almost a decade at Inshorts, calling it one of the hardest professional decisions he has made. He added that his exit was not driven by uncertainty about the future, but by reflection on a long association with the company.
Thakur joined Inshorts in October 2016 as vice president and spent around seven years in the role before being elevated to chief revenue officer in April 2024, a position he held until April 2026.
He said his tenure was defined by “thousands of mornings, late nights, product debates and breakthrough moments”, as the company evolved into a large-scale digital news platform used by millions.
In his note, Thakur emphasised that Inshorts’ growth was a collective effort across teams, adding that engineers, designers, sales teams and customer support staff all contributed to building the platform. He said the company’s success was not the result of individuals but of “everyone who stayed, passed through, and left their mark”.
Before Inshorts, Thakur worked across several digital media and business development roles. At ESPN, he served as senior regional manager from October 2015 to October 2016, focusing on growth initiatives, strategic opportunities and video distribution.
At Times Internet, he worked for nearly three years, including as head of business development from April 2015 to September 2015 and chief manager from January 2013 to March 2015. His responsibilities included monetisation of mobile platforms, managing media and developer partnerships, and driving revenue across digital properties such as The Times of India and The Economic Times.
Earlier, he worked at Brandmovers as head of business development from June 2012 to June 2013, handling digital, mobile and social media marketing solutions, client development and strategic consulting. During this period, he also worked on advertising revenue, brand strategy and CRM-based solutions.
At Inshorts, Thakur’s role focused on revenue strategy, mobile and media partnerships, and growth initiatives across platforms. His profile highlights experience in mobile product management, digital business models, partner ecosystems and revenue expansion in high-growth environments.
