Meta Reportedly Defeats FTC Bid to Block Acquisition of VR Fitness App
The parent company of Facebook and Instagram announced plans to buy virtual reality app maker Within back in 2021.
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Supernatural is a popular VR fitness app for the Meta Quest.
Facebook parent company Meta has reportedly won court approval to acquire Within, which makes the VR fitness app Supernatural, after the Federal Trade Commission attempted to block the deal.
In a sealed decision Wednesday, a US district judge "denied the FTC's request for a preliminary injunction to block the proposed transaction," reported Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the ruling.
Meta announced plans to acquire Within and Supernatural back in October 2021. Last year, the FTC filed a complaint to stop the deal, saying Meta already had a "virtual reality empire."
The company's Meta Quest 2 is one of the best VR headsets available, according to CNET's Scott Stein, even with a price bump last year. Meta's VR lineup also includes the $1,500 Meta Quest Pro and the upcoming Meta Quest 3. The company has also developed VR spaces for work and play as part of its push into the metaverse.
Supernatural was one of the first subscription-based services on the original Meta Quest. The fitness app features video avatars of instructors along with motion-tracked workout routines. It share some similarities with Meta's hit fitness VR music game Beat Saber. Meta acquired Beat Saber in 2019.
On Wednesday, the judge reportedly issued an order barring Meta from closing the acquisition for one week while the FTC weighs whether to appeal the ruling.
The FTC declined to comment.