Amazon declined to comment on the FTC aspect of the transaction close announcement. However, an individual with knowledge of the matter told Variety the FTC does not formally approve transactions it either challenges them or it doesn’t and, should the agency choose to challenge them, the FTC may do so before or after they are consummated. That meant if the FTC did not file a legal challenge before the deadline, Amazon could move forward with the deal, per the report.Īs of Thursday morning, the FTC has not yet made a public challenge or approval of the deal. Federal Trade Commission, which Amazon gave a mid-March deadline to issue a decision on the transaction, the Wall Street Journal reported. At that time, the deal was still pending clearance by the U.S.
