Activision ticks lower on report EC deciding if Microsoft deal has to be re-notified
Rich Polk
Activision (NASDAQ:ATVI) ticked down 0.1% amid a report that the European Commission is still deciding if the $69 billion sale to Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) needs to be re-notified with the regulator after its revised remedy with the UK regulator.
EC Deputy Director General for Mergers Guillaume Loriot made the comments at Informaâs EU Merger Control 2023 Conference in Brussels, according to a Dealreporter account of the event on Thursday.
The report comes after a Dealreporter item from earlier this month that said the EC won't require Microsoft (MSFT) to re-notify the authority about the Activision (ATVI) deal. Reuters also reported earlier this month that A formal EC investigation into the remedy proposal appears unlikely as Microsoft structured its deal with the UK to include compliance with EC remedies.
The latest report comes as the Activision (ATVI) deal nears closing and could be completed as early as next week after the UK antitrust regulator gave its preliminary approval for the transaction last Friday, the last regulatory hurdle to clear. The UK authority last week said it opened consultation on Microsoft's remedies until Oct. 6.
Under the new deal, Microsoft (MSFT) will not acquire the cloud streaming rights to all current and future Activision (ATVI) games released in the next 15 years. These rights will instead be divested to the French group Ubisoft Entertainment (OTCPK:UBSFY).

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