The Federal Trade Commission is reportedly split on approving Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
claims that a rift has emerged in the FTC's four-member panel, with some siding with Microsoft over the deal.According to the report, the panel is made up of four commissioners — one Republican and three Democrats. Republican commissioner Christine Wilson has already signalled support for the deal, but the New York Post's sources claim that at least one of the three Democratic commissioners is also now leaning towards Microsoft, which could lead to a tied 2-2 vote.
Insiders claim that FTC chair Lina Khan is looking to block the deal, but a 2-2 vote would hinder those plans as well as overshadow her authority over the agency, something, it is claimed, Kahn may not be willing to risk. "Lina would probably not put things in a position for that to take place, so instead of having that vote, she would make the motion to approve the settlement," William Kovacic, a former FTC chairman, told the New York Post."The way out is to say, ‘We got a great deal and only got it because we’ve been badasses.'"
Kovacic also said that if Microsoft was to offer the FTC concessions, something Microsoft has so far reportedly refused to do, it would weaken the FTC's argument against the deal."What makes it difficult is when Microsoft goes to their friends in blue and says, 'We have provided a package of solutions for all the perceived problems, and the folks at the FTC are being very unreasonable if they don’t take it,'" Kovacic said.
In a statement given to the New York Post, a Microsoft spokesperson said,"As we have said before, we are prepared to address the concerns of regulators, including the FTC, and Sony to ensure the deal closes with confidence. We’ll still trail Sony and Tencent in the market after the deal closes, and together Activision and Xbox will benefit gamers and developers and make the industry more competitive.
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