SoftBank Group Corp. secured approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission on July 27 to acquire regional internet provider WideOpenWest (WOW!). The decision by the Wireline Competition Bureau establishes WOW! as one of the first U.S. broadband operators with majority Japanese ownership.
SoftBank is acquiring the majority stake from DigitalBridge Group in a transaction valued at $4 billion. This follows a late 2025 deal where DigitalBridge and Crestview Partners took the provider private.
Crestview Partners will maintain a 37% stake in the company. SoftBank confirmed that WOW!’s current management and customer-facing teams will remain in place.
The acquisition is scheduled to close in the second half of 2026.