Sony Seems To Be In No Mood To Support Microsoft's Activision Deal; Calls For Suspension Or Sale Of Call Of Duty

Sony Group Corp SONY advised the U.K.'s antitrust watchdog to prohibit Microsoft Corp.'s MSFT Activision Blizzard Inc ATVI takeover or force it to sell the blockbuster Call of Duty.
In February, the U.K.'s Competition and Market Authority said the deal could hinder competition for U.K. gamers. It suggested remedies, including selling the famous Call of Duty game or blocking the deal altogether.
Microsoft struck long-term licensing deals with Nintendo ADR NTDOY NTDOF and Nvidia Corporation NVDA to minimize opposition.
Microsoft challenged the CMA's concerns and agreed to ink a similar deal with Sony.
Last week, Microsoft and Activision Blizzard met the U.K.'s antitrust watchdog to alleviate antitrust concerns regarding the $69 billion deal.
The London meetings followed a closed-door meeting with the EU, senior executives, and lawyers from Microsoft and Activision in Brussels.
The CMA will publish its final decision on the merger on April 26.
The EU extended the deal review deadline to April 25.
Price Action: MSFT shares traded lower by 0.48% at $252.86 on the last check Thursday.