A court in the United States rejected the request of the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to block the plan of the software company Microsoft to take over the video game company Activision Blizzard for 69 billion dollars (roughly CZK 1.5 trillion). Foreign press agencies inform about it. However, the FTC may still appeal, CNBC pointed out. In addition, the transaction was already blocked by the British antimonopoly authority in April.
A takeover of Activision would be the largest acquisition in the history of the video game industry. Microsoft wants to secure popular video games such as Call of Duty, Overwatch and Candy Crush through this transaction.
The FTC did not convince the court that it could prove at trial that the merger would significantly lessen competition in the industry. “On the contrary, the evidence suggests better consumer access to Call of Duty and other Activision content,” Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley said, according to the AP.
Microsoft manufactures Xbox game consoles. The FTC argued that the acquisition would give the firm exclusive access to Activision’s games, which could lead to restrictions on their availability on other gaming platforms. She described the court’s decision as disappointing “given the clear threat this merger poses to open economic competition”.
“In the coming days, we will announce our next steps in the fight to preserve economic competition and protect consumers,” said a spokesperson for the office.
Microsoft, on the other hand, welcomes the court’s decision. Activision said the combination of the businesses will benefit both consumers and customers. In an effort to allay the FTC’s concerns, Microsoft has previously pledged to license the Call of Duty game to its competitors if the merger is completed, Reuters reported.
Britain’s antitrust regulator said it was ready to consider Microsoft’s proposals to adjust the deal, which would allay its concerns about restricting competition. The two sides agreed to ask a British court, which is due to hear Microsoft’s appeal against blocking the deal this month, to put the appeal on hold for the time being.
The European Commission approved the transaction in May. It said the concessions offered by Microsoft resolved its competition concerns.
2023-07-11 18:48:52
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