logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2023
50m 48s

Microsoft's deal to buy Activision boost...

Bbc World Service
About this episode

A US court has given Microsoft the green light to buy the videogame maker Activision Blizzard in a deal worth $69bn. Microsoft said after the US win, it would focus on resolving concerns around competition in the UK. The tech giant's merger with the Call of Duty owner would be the biggest deal of its kind in gaming industry history.

Bank of America has been ordered to pay out $150m (£116m) in penalties after it was found to have opened credit cards without customers' permission.

(Picture: Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 by Activision. Source: Getty Images)

Up next
May 2025
Trump suggests China tariffs will fall
President Trump says tariffs on China “will not be anywhere near 145%” but won’t be removed all together. It follows US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying he expected a ‘de escalation’ in US China tariffs.The International Monetary Fund has revised its global growth forecast ... Show More
53m 26s
May 27
#41 Barratt Redrow CEO: Bricklaying Robots & Echoes of 2008
David Thomas, the outgoing chief executive of Barratt Redrow, says bricklaying robots are already being deployed on commercial building sites and predicts a revolution in how homes are built over the next decade.Factory-built timber frames, off-site manufacturing and “brick-simul ... Show More
48m 5s
May 25
#40 Next CEO: The Crisis Facing Entry-Level Employment
Lord Wolfson, Chief Executive of Next and a Conservative peer, warns Britain is facing a crisis in entry-level employment. Applicants for every shop vacancy at Next have almost doubled from 10 to 19 in just two years — a trend he describes as “indicative of just how big the crisi ... Show More
29m 34s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2022
How Will Gamers and Investors Respond to Microsoft’s Acquisition of Activision Blizzard?
In January 2022, Microsoft announced its acquisition of the video game company Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion. The deal would make Microsoft the world’s third largest video game company, but it also exposes the company to several risks. First, the all-cash deal would requi ... Show More
18m 55s
Oct 2023
How Microsoft bagged Activision Blizzard
<p>In the 1990s, Microsoft was seen as a tech industry bully. Once viewed as combative and ruthless in the eyes of regulators, the company underwent an image makeover in the decades since. Now, the FT’s Richard Waters explains how Microsoft’s transformation pushed their $75bn acq ... Show More
19m 3s
Oct 2023
Microsoft cleared to buy Activision Blizzard
From the BBC World Service: Microsoft’s revised offer to buy Call of Duty-maker Activision Blizzard has been approved by regulators in the U.K. The Competition and Markets Authority said the deal addressed its concerns, after the watchdog blocked the original $69 billion bid in A ... Show More
8m 30s
Feb 2023
Thee problem with the Microsoft-Activision Blizzard merger
<p>A few days ago, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (UK CMA) released its provisional findings on an investigation it conducted into Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. And it found a few issues.</p> <p>So in today’s episode for 14th February 2023, we see why ... Show More
5m 48s