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☆ Microsoft offers Sony 10-year deal for Call of Duty on PlayStation if Activision deal goes through
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Regulators have raised concerns that Microsoft could block the hit Call of Duty franchise from being released on rivals' games consoles. Microsoft said it has offered Sony a 10-year contract for Call of Duty to be released on the PlayStation on the same day it comes to the Xbox. Microsoft President Brad Smith said the company offered Sony a 10-year contract to make each new release of Call of Duty available on Sony's PlayStation console at the same time as the U.S. giant's Xbox. Sony shares sank initially after Microsoft announced the acquisition plans in January as investors feared PlayStation would not get access to hit Activision games. "That's why we've offered Sony a 10-year contract to make each new 'Call of Duty' release available on PlayStation the same day it comes to Xbox.

☆ From Apple and Disney to Warner Bros. Discovery, here's the 2023 media deal outlook for Hollywood's biggest companies, according to 13 bankers and industry experts
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Lucia Moses | Claire Atkinson | Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Continued pressure to get bigger has big media companies in Hollywood looking to scale up. Media bankers and investors predicted to Insider that dealmaking will rebound in 2023 as companies big and small size up their options for possible tie-ups. Pressure on big media companies to get bigger hasn't gone away. Apple: Could eye a big content prizeTim Cook. Paramount's library could help a streaming company bulk up its content; Netflix for one has explored Paramount's studio business before.

Dec 5 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) will voluntarily recognize a union of about 300 videogame testers at subsidiary ZeniMax Studios if they vote to unionize, a first for the company in the United States, the Communication Workers of America union (CWA) said on Monday. Voluntarily agreeing to bargain with the union would allow Microsoft to avoid a formal election overseen by the U.S. National Labor Relations Board and the legal battles that often ensue. The company in June entered into an agreement with the CWA to remain neutral in union organizing campaigns at Activision Blizzard Inc (ATVI.O), which Microsoft is seeking to purchase for $69 billion. Game testers at Activision units Blizzard Albany and Raven Software have voted this year to join unions amid claims by the CWA that the company has threatened and retaliated against union supporters. Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York Editing by Marguerita ChoyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Tesla, VF Corp, Marriott, MGM and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

United Airlines , Delta Airlines – United gained 4% following a Morgan Stanley upgrade to overweight from equal weight on the notion that 2023 could be a "goldilocks" year for the airline. Silvergate Capital — Shares dropped more than 5% after Morgan Stanley downgraded the crypto bank to underweight from equal weight, saying there is more revenue pressure following the FTX fallout. Signature Bank — The stock declined more than 7% after Morgan Stanley downgraded it to equal weight from overweight. Morgan Stanley expects funding costs to jump "significantly" over the next several quarters as Signature works to retain deposits from customers. Many Chinese stocks pared earlier gains, however, as the broader market sold off amid fears of aggressive monetary tightening.

☆ Microsoft offers Sony 10-year contract for 'Call of Duty' releases on PlayStation - WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 5 (Reuters) - Microsoft (MSFT.O) has offered Sony (6758.T) a 10-year contract to make each new "Call of Duty" release available on PlayStation the same day it comes to Xbox, according to an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal on Monday from a Microsoft executive. Xbox maker Microsoft's latest offer to Sony comes as it faces increased regulatory scrutiny over its $69 billion buyout deal for Activision Blizzard. Reuters reported last month that Microsoft's remedy would consist mainly of a 10-year licensing deal to Playstation owner Sony. "The main supposed potential anticompetitive risk Sony raises is that Microsoft would stop making 'Call of Duty' available on the PlayStation. But that would be economically irrational," Microsoft President Brad Smith said in the WSJ opinion piece.

[1/2] The entrance to the Activision Blizzard Inc. campus is shown in Irvine, California, U.S., August 6, 2019. REUTERS/Mike BlakeDec 2 (Reuters) - Workers who test games at Activision Blizzard Inc.'s (ATVI.O) unit Blizzard Albany have voted to form a union months after the games developer began negotiating with employees at its Wisconsin unit, the first in the company to unionize. Blizzard Albany has developed installments of popular video game franchises including Guitar Hero, Call of Duty, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. Activision had argued that Blizzard Albany's entire workforce of about 100 employees, including production workers, should have been involved in the union vote and not only game testers. The vote announced on Friday came after about two dozen employees of Activision unit Raven Software voted to unionize in May.

☆ Activision acquisition would be good for Microsoft and the overall stock market
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

That implies that the other 35% of the market is made up of firms with equal to or less than about a 2% market share. For simplicity's sake, let's say an additional 17 firms have a 2% market share each to bring us to 100% of the market. That means the HHI, calculated by the market share number squared and then added together for all 27 companies, would be under 650. If the Microsoft-Activision Blizzard deal goes through, and you combine the market share concentration of the two companies, the HII would be just over 700. The other issue is how one measures the gaming market.

☆ Etsy could be that rare tech company to make a comeback, says Jim Cramer
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailEtsy could be that rare tech company to make a comeback, says Jim Cramer'Mad Money' host Jim Cramer breaks down shares of Okta, Etsy, Activision Blizzard and more following the opening bell on Thursday.

☆ Jim Cramer's top 10 things to watch in the market Thursday: Cooler inflation, Salesforce co-CEO exit
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Club holding Salesforce (CRM) saw the departure of co-CEO Bret Taylor, leaving co-founder Marc Benioff as sole CEO, again. Five Below (FIVE) blowout quarter and stock jumps more than 9% in the premarket; in keeping with the discounter retailers. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade.

☆ Exclusive: Microsoft likely to offer EU concessions soon in Activision deal - sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard logo in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. The U.S. software giant and Xbox maker announced the deal in January to help it compete better with leaders Tencent (0700.HK) and Sony (6758.T). Microsoft's remedy would consist mainly of a 10-year licensing deal to Playstation owner Sony, another person with direct knowledge said. The EU competition watchdog, which is scheduled to decide on the deal by April 11, declined to comment. We want people to have more access to games, not less," a Microsoft spokesperson said.

☆ Exclusive: Microsoft likely to offer EU concessions soon in Activision deal -sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard logo in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. The U.S. software giant and Xbox maker announced the deal in January to help it compete better with leaders Tencent (0700.HK) and Sony (6758.T). The deadline for the European Commission, which is investigating the deal, to set out a formal list of competition concerns known as a statement of objection is in January. Microsoft's remedy would consist mainly of a 10-year licensing deal to Playstation owner Sony, another person with direct knowledge said. The EU competition watchdog, which is scheduled to decide on the deal by April 11, and Sony declined to comment.

☆ Here are Monday's biggest analyst calls: Amazon, Apple, DraftKings, Tesla, Live Nation & more
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Here are Monday's biggest calls on Wall Street: JPMorgan reiterates Apple as overweight JPMorgan said its survey checks show Apple's iPhone Pro lead times are moderating. JPMorgan names Amazon a top idea heading into 2023 JPMorgan said Amazon is the "most diversified mega-cap across revs & profit & has numerous large growth opportunities." Morgan Stanley downgrades Aptiv to equal weight from overweight Morgan Stanley said in its downgrade of the auto tech supplier that it thinks Aptiv will be affected by a slower rollout of electric vehicles. Morgan Stanley downgrades Williams-Sonoma to underweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said in its downgrade of Williams-Sonoma that "negative revisions are set to begin." JPMorgan downgrades First Solar to neutral from overweight JPMorgan downgraded the solar stock mainly on valuation.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Activision Blizzard, Tesla, Manchester United and others
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Peter Schacknow | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Tesla (TSLA) – Tesla said its Full Self Driving Beta software is now available to everyone in North America. Tesla rose 2% in premarket trading. Manchester United Shares jumped 14.7% Tuesday and rocketed 25.8% on Wednesday. Nonetheless, the stock rose 1% in the premarket. Deutsche Bank (DB) – The German bank's U.S.-traded shares added 2.4% in the premarket, following a report by RBC Capital that said Deutsche Bank's restructuring progress has been overlooked by investors.

☆ What the Club is watching Friday — China locks down (again), Black Friday sales
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Apple, Manchester United, Activision Blizzard and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard logo in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. Apple — Apple's stock shed 2% on Friday after protests occurred at the iPhone maker's major Foxconn supplier in China earlier this week. Activision Blizzard – Shares of the video game company slid more than 4% after Politico reported the Federal Trade Commission is likely to sue to block Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Manchester United — Manchester United's stock surged 12.8%, building on this week's earlier gains following news that the soccer team's owners are weighing a potential sale. Canoo – The electric vehicle company's stock price traded 4.6% higher after a Securities and Exchange Commission filing revealed that CEO Tony Aquila purchased shares.

☆ FTC likely to block Microsoft-Activision deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFTC likely to block Microsoft-Activision dealCNBC's Julia Boorstin joins 'Closing Bell' to report on the report that the FTC will likely file a lawsuit to block Microsoft's Activision deal out of fear it would allow the company to monopolize the gaming industry.

☆ The FTC is 'likely' to file a suit to block Microsoft's purchase of Activision, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Madeline Renbarger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The FTC is 'likely' to file a lawsuit to block Microsoft's purchase of Activision Blizzard. The suit would signify a major step by FTC chair Lina Khan to reign in big tech companies. Sign up for our newsletter for the latest tech news and scoops — delivered daily to your inbox. Graeme Jennings/Pool via REUTERSMicrosoft first announced its purchase of Activision Blizzard, which manufactures popular video game titles like Call of Duty and Candy Crush, in January. This merger will benefit gamers and the U.S. gaming industry, especially as we face increasingly stiff competition from abroad," a spokesperson for Activision told Insider.

☆ Microsoft has laid down a plan to double the size of its advertising business to $20 billion
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Microsoft Advertising has ambitions to double the size of its ads business to $20 billion. Today, Wilk heads up Microsoft Advertising, a $10 billion business. Microsoft is now looking to double the size of its ads business, Wilk said, though he didn't offer a timeframe of when it might hit that target. If Microsoft Advertising were to grow into a $20 billion business, it would overtake Chinese tech giant Tencent. Gaming could become an important Microsoft Advertising assetGaming will become another key driver of Microsoft's advertising growth.

☆ S&P 500 inches higher as Black Friday sales kick off
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Ankika Biswas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SummarySummary Companies Retailers in focus as Black Friday sales startActivision down on likely FTC lawsuit to block Microsoft dealApple slips, Foxconn China plant sees lower shipmentsIndexes: Dow up 0.5%, S&P inches 0.1% higher, Nasdaq off 0.3%Nov 25 (Reuters) - The benchmark S&P 500 edged higher on Friday, with focus on retailers as Black Friday sales kicked off against the backdrop of stubbornly high inflation and cooling economic growth. The S&P 500 retail index (.SPXRT) slipped 0.1% on Friday, bringing its year-to-date losses to a little over 30%, while the S&P 500 is down 15% so far this year. "We're going have a higher-than-expected Black Friday sales number. The S&P 500 (.SPX) rose 3.41 points, or 0.08%, at 4,030.67, while the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) slipped 36.70 points, or 0.33%, at 11,248.61. The S&P index recorded 16 new 52-week highs and no new low, while the Nasdaq recorded 39 new highs and 42 new lows.

☆ FTC likely to file lawsuit to block Microsoft bid for Activision -Politico
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard logo in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationNov 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is likely to file an antitrust lawsuit to block Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O) $69 billion takeover bid for video game publisher Activision Blizzard Inc (ATVI.O), Politico reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The acquisition could damage the industry if Microsoft refused to give rivals access to Activision's best-selling games, Britain's antitrust regulator has said. The deal has drawn criticism from Sony, maker of the Playstation console, citing Microsoft's control of games like "Call of Duty." A spokesperson for Microsoft said: "We are prepared to address the concerns of regulators, including the FTC, and Sony to ensure the deal closes with confidence.

☆ 'They are untouchable': Microsoft employees say 'golden boy' executives are still running wild, 8 years after the company vowed to clean up its toxic culture
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +23 min

The Microsoft executive walked into the small, windowless room in Studio C at about 8 o'clock that evening. Despite Nadella's public stance against those he has called "talented jerks," many inside the company say Microsoft retains a nearly unlimited tolerance for bad behavior by its top rainmakers and developers. "The Microsoft of 2021 is very different from the Microsoft of 2000 to me and to everyone at Microsoft," Nadella said. But some women say the investigations drag on for months or even years, with no clear timeline for resolution. What's more, some employees say Microsoft's efforts to promote racial equity often smack of tokenism.

☆ Activision stock drops after report says watchdog will try to block $69 billion Microsoft deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Activision shares fell 4% in after-hours trading Wednesday. Microsoft agreed to buy Activision for $69 billion in January. Activision fell as much as 5.9% after the closing bell and were down 3.9% to trade at $73.60 at last check. Politico reported Wednesday that the Federal Trade Commission is likely to try and block Microsoft's $69 billion deal to buy Activision through an antitrust lawsuit, citing three people with knowledge of the matter. Read more: Warren Buffett says his team didn't know Microsoft was planning to buy Activision Blizzard when they bought the gaming stock

☆ FTC likely to file lawsuit to block Microsoft's $69 bln bid for Activision - Politico
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is likely to file an antitrust lawsuit to block Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O) $69 billion takeover bid for video game publisher Activision Blizzard Inc (ATVI.O), Politico reported on Wednesday. However, the FTC staff reviewing the deal are skeptical of the companies' arguments, the report said. The FTC and Microsoft did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters. The proposed bid is also facing EU scrutiny as regulators opened a full-scale investigation earlier this month and warned about the impact of the deal. Reporting by Tiyashi Datta in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj KalluvilaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 'We want to bring the joy of gaming to everybody,' Microsoft CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via Email'We want to bring the joy of gaming to everybody,' Microsoft CEO saysSatya Nadella of Microsoft says Activision is a "fantastic partner" that can enable Microsoft's gaming to be available on every platform.

☆ Activision Blizzard to End Most Game Services in China, NetEase Partnership
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Raffaele Huang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

SINGAPORE— Activision Blizzard Inc. is halting most online game services in China in January, including “World of Warcraft,” “StarCraft” and “Diablo III,” as it and China’s NetEase Inc. end a 14-year licensing partnership. Blizzard Entertainment Inc., an Activision Blizzard subsidiary, and NetEase failed to reach a deal to renew their licensing agreements, the two companies said Thursday China time. One obstacle to renewing the deal was a disagreement between the two parties over how data of Chinese players are controlled, people familiar with the negotiations said. Data collected by powerful internet companies and how those are handled has become a point of friction between the U.S. and China in recent years.

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