Microsoft (MSFT.US) acquisition of Activision Blizzard (ATVI.US) rumored to be approved by EU regulators
Zhitong Finance APP has learned that Microsoft (MSFT.US) is expected to obtain approval from the EU antitrust agency for its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard (ATVI.US), and provide licensing agreements to competitors to help It clears a major hurdle.
In January last year, Microsoft announced its largest-ever acquisition of Activision, challenging Tencent (00700) and Sony (SONY.US) in the booming video game market and entering the virtual online world where people can work, play and play. social contact.
The European Commission plans to make a decision on the deal by April 25 and is not expected to require Microsoft to sell assets for its approval, the people said.
Microsoft may have to provide other behavioral remedies in addition to licensing deals with rivals to allay the concerns of parties other than Sony, one of the people said. Such remedies typically involve the future conduct of the merged company.
Microsoft President Brad Smith said last month that Microsoft was prepared to offer licensing deals to rivals to address antitrust concerns but would not sell Activision’s lucrative “Call of Duty” franchise.
Smith said it’s unrealistic to think that one game or part of Activision’s business can be spun out of other businesses.
Microsoft said the company is “committed to providing effective and easily enforceable solutions to address the European Commission’s concerns.”
A Microsoft spokesperson said, “We are committed to giving Sony, Steam, Nvidia and others 100% equal access to Call of Duty in the long term, which will protect the interests of gamers and developers and increase competition in the marketplace.”
Last month, Microsoft said it had signed 10-year licensing deals with Nintendo and Nvidia to bring Call of Duty to their gaming platforms, but only if the agreement gave the green light to the Activision deal.
The deal has faced regulatory headwinds in the U.K., where the U.K. competition agency has recommended that Microsoft spin off Call of Duty to address its concerns, while the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has asked a judge to block the deal.
