AT&T, Time Warner say their proposed deal is 'pro-competitive'

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - AT&T Inc and Time Warner Inc argued in a court filing on Tuesday that their proposed merger was "pro-competitive" and "pro-consumer" as they sought to rebut Justice Department allegations that the deal breaks antitrust law.

In the joint filing, the companies said that they operate in highly competitive markets which will remain competitive after they close the deal.

The Justice Department last week sued AT&T, which owns DirecTV, to block its $85.4 billion acquisition of Time Warner.

(Reporting by Diane Bartz, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)