Microsoft Corp. and Activision Blizzard Inc. are nearing the finish line on their $69 billion deal, but aren’t likely to close it by a Tuesday deadline, people familiar with the deal said.
The companies don’t plan to walk away from the deal and will continue seeking the final regulatory approvals needed for closing, said the people, who declined to be named because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. Microsoft and Activision declined to comment.
Regulatory momentum has shifted in favor of the deal in recent days, with the US Federal Trade Commission failing to block it in court and the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority announcing an unprecedented move to start fresh talks on ways to assuage UK government concerns. Still, the progress likely isn’t fast enough to complete the deal by Tuesday’s milestone.
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