The WarnerMount merger is close to being in the clear, after California and 11 other states settled their antitrust lawsuit against the deal.

The settlement removes one of the last legal obstacles to the transaction. For advertisers, the practical question is what buying connected TV will look like once the combined company controls a larger share of premium streaming inventory.

The WarnerMount deal is not the only consolidation reshaping the buy side. Taboola bought Dianomi, the UK-based content recommendation and engagement platform. Infillion bought Foursquare, the location data and measurement provider.

Each acquisition points to the same strategic logic: scale and first-party data. Taboola gains Dianomi's advertiser relationships in business and finance content. Infillion folds Foursquare's location and measurement capabilities into its media business.

For media buyers, the consolidation means fewer independent vendors and larger, more integrated platforms. The immediate effect on pricing and inventory access remains to be seen as the deals close.

The coming months will show how each company positions itself post-acquisition — and how WarnerMount's cleared path changes CTV planning for the 2025 upfront cycle.