AT&T’s Future Is Almost Here, and Mark Cuban, Investors and 16 Countries Are on Board

AT&T’s merger with Time Warner Inc. isn’t a done deal yet, but it feels that way.In the last month, AT&T has shifted top management and designated an executive to lead the Time Warner operation. It hired a New York adman for a new advertising unit to capitalize on the combination. It sold $22.5 billion in bonds to wrap up the financing.This week, Mexico became the 16th country to approve the merger.The U.S. Department of Justice is still reviewing the case, and Brazil officials have raised antitrust concerns, but there’s no sign of a deal-breaker. “I think it’s gonna be smooth sailing,” said Roger Entner, a longtime telecom analyst and founder of Recon Analytics. “They’re getting ready to hit the ground running — and to execute when that happens.”That’s a promising prospect for an industry already in a golden age. Programmers regularly create great content for dozens of channels, and consumers expect to be able to watch it anywhere, anytime, on any device.   Continue reading...