Shares of Activision Blizzard climbed 6% at the open of regular trading Friday morning. The rise followed a release from U.K. regulators regarding their views on Microsoft acquiring the video game maker. The Competition and Markets Authority said early Friday that it believes the merger would not be harmful to competition with respect to video game consoles, making specific reference to the potential for Microsoft to limit distribution of Activision Blizzard video games to purchasers of its Xbox console.
(Bloomberg) -- Microsoft Corp.’s chances of winning antitrust approval for its $69 billion takeover of Activision Blizzard Inc. got a boost after UK regulators narrowed the scope of their probe to focus solely on cloud gaming.Most Read from BloombergDeutsche Bank Slumps in Resurgence of European Bank WorriesJack Dorsey’s Wealth Tumbles $526 Million After Hindenburg ShortUBS Sends Khan to Stem Credit Suisse’s Private Banker ExitsJack Dorsey’s Block Vows to Fight Back After Hindenburg Says It’s Sh
The CMA said the ‘transaction will not result in a substantial lessening of competition in relation to console gaming in the UK’.