The growth of on-demand viewing platforms and Nielsen's NPX methodology change likely means collapsing TV ratings, with a potential 12 percent drop in Q2 among viewers ages 18-49 watching live and within three days of broadcast, MoffettNathanson analyst Michael Nathanson wrote investors Monday. That will pressure national TV advertising worse than previously forecast, he said, predicting Q2 net subscriber losses among traditional MVPDs of 2.8 percent -- though factoring in virtual MVPD subscriber growth could mitigate it some. The analysts said reports of Discovery Communications and Viacom being interested in Scripps Networks (see 1707190015) make sense because neither has big presence on virtual MVPD lineups but could leverage Scripps' Food and HGTV networks to change that.

U.K. Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Karen Bradley still is leaning toward referring Fox's proposed purchase of Sky to receive further investigation, she said in a statement Thursday to Parliament. That follows meetings with Fox and a letter from Sky about public interest concerns regarding the deal, she said, adding neither company offered amendments or concessions. She said she's going through the materials and isn't ready to make a final recommendation, but that nothing either company said has led her to change her mind. Fox said it's pleased the U.K. Office of Communications concluded the steps Fox would take to maintain the editorial independence of Sky News would mitigate concerns about media concentration and thus was disappointed Bradley still saw plurality as an issue warranting further investigation. Fox pointed out the proposed deal received regulatory approval on public interest and plurality grounds in all Sky markets outside the U.K. An earlier takeover attempt ended amid a phone hacking scandal at a Fox-affiliated U.K. newspaper.

Garmin bought Alphamantis Technologies, a privately held designer of aerodynamics testing and measurement technology for the cycling industry, it said in Thursday announcement. Garmin CEO Cliff Pemble said aerodynamics can be a way for cyclists to measure performance, "something our customers crave." Most Alphamantis employees will be retained, Garmin said, and they'll continue to work in Montreal.

With an eye on small cells, Crown Castle struck a deal to buy Lightower from Berkshire Partners, Pamlico Capital and other investors for $7.1 billion in cash. Lightower has an "attractive fiber footprint,” Crown Castle CEO Jay Brown said in a Tuesday news release. “Lightower’s dense fiber footprint is well-located in top metro markets in the Northeast and is well-positioned to facilitate small cell deployments by our customers.” Lightower brings with it 32,000 route miles of fiber, located primarily in top-tier markets including New York, Boston and Philadelphia, Crown Castle said, noting that the buy will double its fiber footprint. Wells Fargo analyst Jennifer Fritzsche said in a Wednesday note to investors many view Lightower as the ''crown jewel'' in the private fiber space. Crown Castle said the deal is subject to state and federal regulatory approvals, including by the FCC.

Liberty Media’s John Malone and Mexico-based-broadcaster Grupo Televisa may be interested in buying Univision in the wake of that company’s recent decision to delay an initial public offering, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. The FCC earlier this year ruled that Grupo Televisa could purchase up to 49 percent of Univision (see 1701030055). Univision didn't comment.

Analysts are split on the likelihood of Discovery Communications joining with Scripps Networks. Credit Suisse analyst Omar Sheikh in a note to investors Wednesday called the reported deal talks unlikely to come to fruition since previous such talks probably died due to disagreements over price and structure, and those hurdles seemingly haven't changed. A combination would have more negotiating leverage with MVPDs and advertising agencies, he said. Citi's Jason Bazinet said the idea of Discovery/Scripps talks is "credible," adding the two likely will come to an agreement due to the pressures on the cable industry and to low valuations. He said a combined entity would have more leverage with emerging digital distribution platforms like Hulu, Sling, Vue and YouTube, and also make the launch of a non-sports bundle easier. Neither Scripps nor Discovery commented Wednesday. Scripps stock closed at $76.89, up 14.7 percent, while Discovery closed at $27.18, up 4.3 percent. Scripps also reportedly has held merger talks with Viacom. Viacom didn't comment.

The FTC won't challenge Cisco’s acquisition of Viptela, a software-defined wide-area network company, said an early termination notice. Cisco announced the $610 million deal in May and expected to close in second half of 2017 (see 1705010064).

Extreme Networks completed the acquisition of Avaya's network business, said the San Jose, California-based networking provider in a Monday news release. Extreme, which won Avaya's business in a bankruptcy court auction in June (see 1705310060), said it acquired customers, personnel and tech assets.

Harman said Tuesday it acquired U.K.-based audio company Arcam (A&R Cambridge), a subsidiary of Jam Industries. Charlie Brennan, Arcam’s managing director, and the Arcam management team will remain in place, becoming part of the Harman's Lifestyle division. Arcam’s portfolio includes AV receivers, amplifiers, digital-to-analog converters, speakers and lifestyle audio products.

AT&T denied Randall Stephenson is planning to no longer be CEO after the company buys Time Warner. The company said in a statement Friday that Stephenson will remain chairman and CEO post-close, and that no other decisions on organizational structure or leadership are finalized. It said Stephenson and TW CEO Jeff Bewkes "are working through that." Wells Fargo's Jennifer Fritzsche wrote investors that in the reported post-deal structure, it makes sense that Stephenson would become executive chairman overseeing co-CEOs John Stankey and John Donovan as heads of its media business and wireline and wireless businesses, respectively. The analyst cited different customer bases the company will serve.