UK Regulators to Investigate Microsoft’s Acquisition of Activision for $69 Billion
The UK’s antitrust regulator has stated that a fresh inquiry into Microsoft Corp.’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard Inc. may be necessary if the companies modify their agreement in an attempt to overturn the UK’s rejection.
After a US court approved the biggest gaming deal ever, all parties decided to suspend the appeal process against the CMA’s decision to block it. This pause will allow the companies to propose potential fixes aimed at easing UK concerns that the takeover would stifle competition.
– The merging parties do not have the opportunity to propose new remedies after the final report has been published, they can choose to restructure the deal, which may lead to a new merger investigation, the spokesperson of the Competition and Markets Agency said. statement on Wednesday.
Sending the contract back to first base in the UK would mean starting a new ‘Phase 1’ CMA investigation. This would look at whether the deal could cause potential competition problems, and structural remedies are often considered at this stage.
“Microsoft and Activision have indicated that they are considering how the deal could be amended and the CMA is prepared to engage with them on this basis,” the spokesperson said. “These discussions are still in the early stages and the nature and timing of the next steps will be decided in due course.”
Microsoft was heading to the Competition Appeal Tribunal to appeal the CMA’s decision to block the deal. The trial was scheduled to begin on July 28.
Earlier on Tuesday, Microsoft won permission from a US court to go ahead with the deal, a blow to the US Federal Trade Commission, which had tried to block it.
