Episode 136: Fox's $22B Roku Deal Hits DOJ Speed Bump

Fox Corp. COO John Nallen went on record at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia conference to say the company's $22 billion acquisition of Roku remains on track despite a DOJ second request for information — but the real story isn't regulatory procedure. It's the unmapped political risk sitting on top of an otherwise manageable antitrust process, driven by Trump's public displeasure over Fox News' abrupt dismissal of Maria Bartiromo and his history of weaponizing regulatory levers against media companies he dislikes. Key Takeaways: Fox Corp.'s $22 billion Roku acquisition received a DOJ second request for additional information — standard procedure at this deal scale, but it extends the review timeline. Nallen confirmed the deal's projected close window — first half of 2027 — remains intact. Fox projects a post-close leverage ratio of 2.8x trailing EBITDA, with rapid de-leveraging expected given revenue growth at both Roku and Tubi. A share buyback program of $1 billion to $1.5 billion will continue "unabated" post-close, signaling balance sheet confidence to equity markets. Fox One, the company's streaming flagship launched last August, is tracking above internal subscriber expectations; research firm Antenna recorded 2.8 million sign-ups driven by last summer's World Cup alone. Fox's five-year Fox One subscriber target of 3 million to 5 million has not been revised upward, but the Antenna data point suggests the low end may already be in sight. Maria Bartiromo, dismissed abruptly from Fox News, has hired attorney Bryan Freedman and is preparing to fight the network — a dispute that introduces political risk into the Roku deal's regulatory path via Trump's public reaction. The DOJ second request is procedurally unremarkable. What's not unremarkable is a sitting president who has openly criticized Fox's decision, has a historically volatile relationship with Rupert Murdoch, and has demonstrated willingness to deploy regulatory pressure against media companies on political grounds. Agents, executives, and dealmakers with any exposure to Fox or Roku should be watching the Bartiromo litigation and the Trump-Murdoch dynamic as closely as they watch the antitrust docket. The close window is first half of 2027 — there's time for the political environment to shift in either direction. Subscribe to The Option for daily updates on the business behind the business.