microsoft used full-page newspaper advertisements to promote Obligation aspect of its proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The UK announcements claim they will bring the franchise to an additional 150 million players on new platforms, which they have already started doing with their recent Nintendo Switch and Nvidia GeForce Now offerings.
UK CMA may not approve Activision Blizzard deal
The purpose of the ads in newspapers like the Financial Times and the Daily Mail, as discovered by The Verge, is likely to bolster public support for Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Following the link at the bottom of the newspaper announcements leads to more details on Microsoft’s Call of Duty goals, including the aforementioned Nintendo and Nvidia deals. The problem is that the public has no say in the final decision.
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is responsible for approving or rejecting the deal. They have already hinted that the latter move is the most likely by stating in their final report (via Equity Report) that they would not be afraid to make a different decision than the European Commission. The latest rumors claim that the EU will approve the deal as long as Activision Blizzard’s IP licensing deals are available for other platforms like PlayStation. However, a final decision is not expected to be made for some time.