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DoorDash agrees to buy Instacart for about $17 billion

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 4 outlets across the spectrum.

5 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Split image of two smartphones showing DoorDash and Instacart logos on screens
Image via NBC NewsHow images are chosenReport this image

NBC News, the New York Post and The Guardian report that DoorDash has agreed to buy Instacart in a deal worth about $17 billion. The companies say the combination will help smaller grocers compete, and MarketWatch reports that analysts are asking whether U.S. regulators will conduct an extended review of antitrust risks. According to The Guardian, citing Associated Press, the Instacart brand and app will remain, Instacart shoppers can keep fulfilling orders, and grocers can work with either company. NBC News reports the deal is expected to close at the end of 2027 or in the first half of 2028.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. DoorDash has agreed to buy Instacart in a deal worth about $17 billion.

    Reported byLeft2Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    NBC News, The Guardian
    Right
    New York Post

  2. The companies say the combination will help smaller grocers compete.

    One outletMarketWatch· Center

  3. Analysts question whether U.S. regulators will conduct an extended review of antitrust risks.

    One outletMarketWatch· Center

  4. The Instacart brand and app will remain, and Instacart shoppers can keep fulfilling orders for Instacart.

    One outletThe Guardian· Left

  5. The deal is expected to close at the end of 2027 or in the first half of 2028.

    One outletNBC News· Left

How each side tells it

Compare views

All three sides report that DoorDash is buying Instacart, combining grocery delivery with restaurant takeout. The left stresses market consolidation and DoorDash's grocery growth, the right stresses the size of the merger, and the center asks whether regulators will get in the way.

  • the left

    2 outlets

    Left headlines frame the deal as market consolidation; The Guardian's headline, on an Associated Press report, stresses DoorDash's gains in grocery delivery.

    DoorDash to Acquire Instacart For $17 Billion
    NBC NewsLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    2 outlets

    The MarketWatch headline asks whether the U.S. government will get in the way, focusing on regulatory risk alongside the companies' claim of helping smaller grocers.

    DoorDash and Instacart want to join forces. Will the U.S. government get in their way?
    MarketWatchCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    1 outlet

    The New York Post headline calls the deal a massive food delivery merger, stressing its size and combining grocery delivery with restaurant takeout.

    DoorDash buys Instacart for $17B in massive food delivery merger
    New York PostRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left1

    gobbling up

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded verb

    gobbling upMore neutral: is acquiring

    Informal wording that casts the deal as an aggressive takeover rather than a purchase.

    …delivery, ‘one of the hardest things to get right online’, CEO says DoorDash is gobbling up Instacart in a $17bn acquisition that will supercharge its grocery delivery…

    Used byThe Guardian (Left)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

2 outlets

Leads with

  • scale of the combined company
  • DoorDash's grocery growth
  • wider access to stores for customers

Leaves out

  • regulatory review and antitrust questions raised in MarketWatch

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 2 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • The GuardianLeftAssociated Press report

    DoorDash to buy Instacart for $17bn in major grocery delivery consolidation

    Acquisition will supercharge DoorDash’s grocery delivery, ‘one of the hardest things to get right online’, CEO says DoorDash is Loaded verb“gobbling up”Informal wording that casts the deal as an aggressive takeover rather than a purchase.More neutral: is acquiringDisagree with this highlight? Instacart in a $17bn acquisition that will supercharge its grocery delivery business. …

    Read at The Guardian (opens in a new tab)
  • NBC NewsLeft

    DoorDash to Acquire Instacart For $17 Billion

    DoorDash plans to acquire Instacart in a deal worth about $17 billion. It’s expected to close at the end of 2027 in the first half of 2028. The acquisition would combine DoorDash’s dominance in restaurant delivery with Instacart’s lineup of grocery partnerships, creating one …

    Read at NBC News (opens in a new tab)

From the center

2 outlets

Leads with

  • regulatory review
  • antitrust risk
  • help for smaller grocers

Leaves out

  • the $17 billion price
  • the expected closing timeline

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 2 headlines from the centerHide the headlines
  • The HillCenter

    DoorDash buying Instacart for $17B

    DoorDash announced Thursday it will acquire Instacart, buying the grocery delivery company for around $17 billion. Instacart will keep its brand name, and customers will be able to continue using the app for their grocery shopping orders, DoorDash said in a statement. …

    Read at The Hill (opens in a new tab)
  • MarketWatchCenter

    DoorDash and Instacart want to join forces. Will the U.S. government get in their way?

    The companies say their proposed merger will help smaller grocers compete, but analysts wonder if regulators will conduct an “extended review” of antitrust risks.

    Read at MarketWatch (opens in a new tab)

From the right

1 outlet

Leads with

  • size of the combined business
  • top grocery delivery app
  • restaurant takeout service

Leaves out

  • antitrust review concerns
  • the Instacart brand remaining

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the headline from the rightHide the headlines
  • New York PostRight

    DoorDash buys Instacart for $17B in massive food delivery merger

    DoorDash on Thursday announced it has agreed to buy Instacart in a $17 deal, combining the nation’s top grocery delivery app with a massive restaurant takeout service.

    Read at New York Post (opens in a new tab)

The stories you read build My Mix, a private picture of which sides cover the stories you choose, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    First to report

    NBC News, Oct 29, 8:16 AM EDT

  • Center

    41 min later

    Its first report, Oct 29, 8:58 AM EDT

  • Right

    11 min later

    Its first report, Oct 29, 8:27 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. NBC NewsLeftOct 29, 8:16 AM EDT
  2. New York PostRightOct 29, 8:27 AM EDT
  3. MarketWatchCenterOct 29, 8:58 AM EDT
  4. The GuardianLeftOct 29, 9:41 AM EDT
  5. The HillCenterOct 29, 10:12 AM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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