TTWO - Take-Two CEO has no concerns with Microsoft's planned Activision deal
Take-Two Interactive ( NASDAQ: TTWO ) CEO Strauss Zelnick said he has no issues with the Microsoft's ( NASDAQ: MSFT ) planned $69 billion purchase of Activision ( NASDAQ: ATVI ) and most of his competitors feel the same way.
"Well there's one big company that is, but apart from that no," Zelnick said in a Tuesday interview with CNBC. "Generally speaking I don't think people are particularly concerned because it remains a fragmented business" Zelnick said in a Tuesday interview with CNBC where he said he told regulators he had no issues with the deal.
Zelnick didn't identify which company he was referencing, though reports have indicated PlayStation owner Sony Corp. ( SONY ) has been critical of the transaction. Microsoft last month complained about the influence of videogame console rival Sony on UK regulators, as the country's competition watchdog reviews the deal.
"We don't really think the competitive landscape is meaningfully effected in the event that that merger goes through," Zelnick said.
While Zelnick said he saw a 90% chance the deal would go through when it was announced, those odds appear to be lower now.
"It's hard to say what will happen at this point," Zelnick said. "If you asked me when it was first announced I would have said I thought it was about 90% chance it would be approved," Zelnick said. "It appears as though it's less than that."
On Monday Activision ( ATVI ) said its planned sale to Microsoft ( MSFT ) remains on track to close in the quarter ending in June.
Take-Two ( TTWO ) shares tumbled 17% in premarket trading after it cut its bookings view below expectations.
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Take-Two CEO has no concerns with Microsoft's planned Activision deal