The Federal Trade Commission’s request to pause the deal was rejected, clearing the few remaining hurdles for it to go through
A US appeals court on Friday rejected the Federal Trade Commission’s request to pause Microsoft’s $69bn (£53bn) purchase of Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard.
The appeals court decision removes one of the few remaining hurdles stopping Xbox maker Microsoft from closing the deal and expanding its gaming business.
The FTC had also asked Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley of the US district court in northern California for a similar stay but she rejected that request late on Thursday.
The FTC did not return an immediate request for comment.
Brad Smith, the president of Microsoft, said, “We appreciate the ninth circuit’s swift response denying the FTC’s motion to further delay the deal. This brings us another step closer to the finish line in this marathon of global regulatory reviews.
