Sprint and T-Mobile Merger Might Be Over Amid Fight for Control of Combined Company [Updated]

Sprint parent company SoftBank may call off a planned merger between Sprint and T-Mobile, report Nikkei and Reuters.

SoftBank's board of directors is said to be having doubts about the deal due to a failure to reach an agreement about the ownership of the combined T-Mobile/Sprint entity. SoftBank is worried about "losing control" of the combined company, according to sources that spoke to Reuters.

sprinttmobile
Rumors suggest SoftBank could approach T-Mobile parent company Deutsche Telekom as soon as Tuesday to end the talks. Deutsche Telekom wanted a controlling stake in the combined company, which SoftBank's board has ultimately decided not to agree to. T-Mobile is still attempting to keep the deal going, but Deutsche Telekom does not plan to budge on demands for control.

A T-Mobile and Sprint merger deal has been in the works since February of 2017, and as recently as September, the deal was said to be close to done as SoftBank and Deutsche Telekom worked out the final details. T-Mobile CEO John Legere was set to lead the combined company.

Should the deal ultimately fall through, it will be the second time Sprint and T-Mobile have failed to reach an agreement. Sprint parent company SoftBank attempted to purchase T-Mobile in a 2013 deal worth more than $20 billion, but SoftBank abandoned its plans in 2014 amid regulatory scrutiny.

Even if the deal progresses and SoftBank does not end the merger, it's still unclear if it will gain regulatory approval this time around. In 2014, U.S. antitrust regulators said having four national carriers was important to maintaining a competitive market.

Update: T-Mobile and Sprint are attempting to save the merger and are negotiating new terms with T-Mobile having submitted a new offer, according to The Wall Street Journal. A deal could potentially be reached within weeks, but there's still the chance that it'll fall through.

Top Rated Comments

Chupa Chupa Avatar
71 months ago
Bizarre. If Softbank knew how to run Sprint it wouldn't be the take over target it is. But with this going belly up seems like the next step could be vultures ending up picking up Sprint assets in the next few years. I mean any company that literally gives away a free year of service and still can't get takers....
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
brendu Avatar
71 months ago
Well sprint, enjoy slowly going out of business
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Starfyre Avatar
71 months ago
If they merge, John Legere has to keep being the CEO and continue to be the uncarrier that trumps all the other carriers. John knows how to run T-Mobile USA and keep the competition up on the others. Softbank/Sprint execs that have ideas should be required to get approval from John Legere.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TMRJIJ Avatar
71 months ago
Whatever. No need for Sprint to drag T-Mobile down with them.
Too bad. T-mobile would benefit from Sprint management.
ROFL!
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
 Avatar
71 months ago
As a Sprint refuge... I'm absolutely praying that this all goes to hell. Sprint Customer service is the absolute worst.

I'm genuinely happy with T-Mobile and don't want any of Sprint to rub off on them
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Makosuke Avatar
71 months ago
Given that since SoftBank bought Sprint in 2013, Sprint has had all of two slightly profitable quarters, and zero profitable years, hemorrhaging something like $10 billion, I would think the last thing SoftBank would want is to be running the newly merged company.

I mean, seriously, if your management has lost money for five years straight while the company you want to merge with has been on an upward trend that entire time, I’d think priority one would be not running the merged company.

But then, if SoftBank made smart decisions they’d either be making money with Sprint or never have bought it in the first place. Why start making good decisions now?
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2023 Event Taking Place June 5 to 9

Wednesday March 29, 2023 9:58 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 34th annual Worldwide Developers Conference will take place from Monday, June 5 to Friday, June 9. Like WWDC 2020, 2021, and 2022, WWDC 2023 will be an online event for the most part, and it will be open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple will provide online sessions and labs, which will allow...
iPhone 15 Pro Buttons CAD Leak

iPhone 15 Pro Low-Energy Chip to Allow Solid-State Buttons to Work When Device is Off or Out of Battery

Wednesday March 29, 2023 1:54 am PDT by
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will use a new ultra-low energy microprocessor allowing certain features like the new capacitive solid-state buttons to remain functional even when the handset is powered off or the battery has run out, according to a source that shared details on the MacRumors forums. CAD-based render of new solid-state buttons on iPhone 15 Pro models The source of this rumor is ...
CarPlay Phone Call

General Motors to Phase Out Apple CarPlay Starting This Year in EV Transition

Friday March 31, 2023 8:43 am PDT by
General Motors (GM) will phase out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in its vehicles starting this year, shifting to a built-in infotainment system co-developed with Google (via Reuters). GM owns Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC in the United States. It will stop offering Apple CarPlay and Android Auto starting with the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer, which goes on sale this summer. The company plans ...
iPhone 15 Pro Multi Purpose button Mute Switch Feature Green 2

iPhone 15 Pro Rumored to Feature Multi-Use Action Button Instead of Mute Switch

Wednesday March 29, 2023 7:28 am PDT by
iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models are rumored to feature a customizable Action button like the Apple Watch Ultra, according to a MacRumors forum member who leaked accurate details about the Dynamic Island on iPhone 14 Pro models last year. The source claimed the Action button will replace the Ring/Silent switch that has been included on every iPhone model since 2007. They did not...
iOS 16

iOS 16.4 Now Available for Your iPhone With These 8 New Features

Friday March 31, 2023 8:55 am PDT by
Following six weeks of beta testing, iOS 16.4 was released to the public this week. The software update includes a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone 8 and newer. To install an iOS update, open the Settings app on the iPhone, tap General → Software Update, and follow the on-screen instructions. Below, we have recapped eight new features and changes added with iOS 16.4,...
iOS 17 on Phone Feature

Three New iOS Features Coming to Your iPhone Following Apple Music Classical

Thursday March 30, 2023 7:13 am PDT by
With the Apple Music Classical app and an Apple Pay Later early access program now available, the list of previously-announced iOS features that have yet to launch is beginning to shrink. However, there are still a few features we are waiting for. Below, we have recapped three more iOS features that are expected to launch in 2023, including an Apple Card savings account for Daily Cash,...
apple mixed reality headset concept by david lewis and marcus kane

Kuo: Apple Mixed-Reality Headset May Not Appear at WWDC as Mass Production Pushed Back Yet Again

Thursday March 30, 2023 4:50 am PDT by
Apple has again pushed back mass production of its mixed-reality headset and the device may not appear at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said. Apple headset concept by David Lewis and Marcus Kane In a tweet, Kuo explained that Apple "isn't very optimistic" about whether the headset will be able to create an "iPhone moment." As a result,...