microsoft It may soon have one less hurdle to face in its attempts to acquire publishing giant Activision Blizzard, with a new report indicating that the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, or CMA, will announce its support for the deal this week. News of the CMA’s apparent willingness to approve the high-profile acquisition comes just days after Lina Khan, chairwoman of the US Federal Trade Commission, clarified the FTC’s opposition to the Activision acquisition. Blizzard by Microsoft in statements before Congress.
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH THE CONTENT
First announced by the tech giant in January 2022, Microsoft’s plans to acquire Activision Blizzard have been met with pushback from some international regulators, as well as many gamers. If the biggest video game acquisition in history is approved, Microsoft would gain control not only of popular PC and console franchises like Call of Duty and Diablo, but also of massive mobile game publisher King. While the proposed acquisition continues to face resistance from regulators in several countries, the tide appears to be turning in Microsoft’s favor. Last week, South Africa approved the Activision acquisition, becoming the latest country to provide regulatory support for the deal.
According to a new report from the Financial Times, the UK could be next to give approval to Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. As part of a roundup of the week’s expected business news, Financial Times reporter Jonathon Moules notes that the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority will issue a ruling on Wednesday on whether to approve the massive deal. Although it will be impossible to know for sure how the regulatory body will pronounce itself until Wednesday, Moules says that “the CMA is expected to support it.” If approved by the CMA, Microsoft will have cleared one of the biggest hurdles still standing in the way of the Activision Blizzard acquisition.
Although Microsoft will still need approval from the US Federal Trade Commission as well as other international regulatory bodies before it can close the deal, receiving CMA approval would be a big step forward for the proposed acquisition. However, Microsoft has not rested on its laurels while waiting for the deal to be approved, as the company continues to make deals to expand its reach in the global gaming market. As part of the latest deal of its kind, Microsoft announced a 10-year cloud gaming partnership with UK mobile phone provider EE earlier this month.
The future of Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard is still up in the air, with the very real possibility that it all falls apart, but if the CMA approves the merger later this week, as expected, it will bring it one step closer. the controversial deal. to come true. And while this latest news is unlikely to go down well with Microsoft’s biggest competitor Sony, continuing to cast shadows on Microsoft and Nintendo on patents could help the rival gaming giant blow off some steam.
Fuente: Financial Times
2023-04-24 23:15:22
#Microsofts #Activision #Blizzard #acquisition #expected #clear #major #hurdle #week
