 FILE - In this Monday, Oct. 24, 2016, file photo, the AT&T; logo is positioned above one of its retail stores, in New York. The fate of the AT&T-Time; Warner merger, a massive media deal opposed by the... (Associated Press) 
 
 WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the resolution of the AT&T-Time Warner antitrust case (all times local): 
 
 5:35 p.m. 
 
 AT&T says it will complete its purchase of Time Warner by June 20 now that a federal judge has cleared the deal. "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," said David McAtee, AT&T General Counsel. In a statement, he warns that the pay-TV industry will be "less competitive and less innovative" as a result of merger. Leon rejected the notion of temporarily suspending the merger for a possible appeal by the government. In Tuesday's ruling, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon rejected the government's argument that the AT&T-Time Warner combination would hurt competition in pay TV and cost consumers hundreds of millions of dollars more to stream TV and movies. Disney has a deal to buy the bulk of Fox, but Comcast is now expected to make a counterbid, especially with the favorable ruling for AT&T. Waiting in the wings are potential big-billions deals involving 21st Century Fox and Disney, Verizon and CBS, T-Mobile and Sprint. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon rejected the government's argument that the AT&T-Time Warner combination would hurt competition in pay TV and cost consumers hundreds of millions of dollars more to stream TV and movies. ___ 
 
 5:05 p.m. 
 
 U.S. District Judge Richard Leon said the government failed to meet its burden of proof in its antitrust suit against the AT&T-Time Warner merger. "The government here has taken its best shot to oppose this merger," Leon said, speaking to a packed courtroom in an unusual session weeks after the trial ended. But, he added, "the government's evidence is too thin a reed for this court to rely on." The "drop dead" deadline for the merger to be completed is June 21. If it's not wrapped up by then, either company could walk away, and AT&T would have to pay a $500 million breakup fee. The judge presiding over the government's legal effort to block AT&T's purchase... (Associated Press) 
 
 NEW YORK (AP) — Now that a federal judge has cleared AT&T's $85 billion takeover of Time Warner, other companies are likely to rush to consolidate. Tuesday's ruling signaled that federal regulators will have a hard time stopping companies from getting bigger by gobbling up rivals and the programming they own. Even if a company doesn't need to get bigger right away, it might need to do so to prevent a competitor from overshadowing it. For starters, expect Comcast to make a bid for Fox's entertainment business as early as Wednesday. Here's a look at some of the pending and possible combinations: 
 
 FOX WITH DISNEY OR COMCAST 
 
 Disney has made a $52.4 billion all-stock offer for the bulk of Twenty-First Century Fox, including the studios behind the "Avatar" movies, "The Simpsons" and "Modern Family," along with National Geographic. The combination would push technology forward and give consumers more choices, AT&T has promised. AT&T's favorable ruling would seem to clear any regulatory hesitation. Now, the phone and pay-TV giant will be allowed to absorb the owner of CNN, HBO, the Warner Bros. movie studio, "Game of Thrones," coveted sports programming and other "must-see" shows. The Justice Department could decide to appeal the ruling, however. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon is expected to announce in court Tuesday his decision in the biggest antitrust trial in years. The Trump Justice Department had sued to block the $85 billion merger, arguing that it would hurt competition in cable and satellite TV and jack up costs to consumers for streaming TV and movies. The mega-merger is a high-stakes bet by AT&T Inc. on the synergy between companies that produce news and entertainment and those that funnel it to consumers — who spend more time watching video on phones and tablets and less time on traditional live TV on a big screen.
– A federal judge approved the $85 billion mega-merger of AT&T and Time Warner on Tuesday, a move that could usher in a wave of media consolidation while shaping how much consumers pay for streaming TV and movies. US District Judge Richard Leon green-lit the merger without adding major conditions to the deal. The Trump Justice Department had sued to block the merger, arguing that it would hurt competition in cable and satellite TV and jack up costs to consumers for streaming TV and movies, the AP reports. Now, the phone and pay-TV giant will be allowed to absorb the owner of CNN, HBO, the Warner Bros. movie studio, Game of Thrones, coveted sports programming and other "must-see" shows; AT&T says it plans to complete the purchase by June 20. A government lawyer says the Justice Department may appeal the ruling. The ruling could shape the government's future competition policy, as well as open the floodgates to deal making in the fast-changing entertainment and video-content worlds. Major cable, satellite and phone companies are bulking up with purchases of entertainment conglomerates to compete against rivals born on the internet, like Amazon and Google. Waiting in the wings are potential big-billions deals involving 21st Century Fox and Disney, Verizon and CBS, T-Mobile and Sprint. Comcast and Verizon are also jockeying for position in the new landscape. Investors welcomed the ruling in after-market trading following the announcement. A "rush to consolidate" by other companies is now expected; the AP takes a look at a number of "mega deals" here.