Activision Blizzard shareholders approve $68.7 bln Microsoft deal

The Activision booth is shown at the E3 2017 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles
The Activision booth is shown at the E3 2017 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, California, U.S. June 13, 2017. REUTERS/ Mike Blake/File Photo

April 28 (Reuters) - Videogame publisher Activision Blizzard Inc (ATVI.O) said on Thursday that its shareholders approved Microsoft Corp's $68.7 billion proposal to buy the "Call of Duty" maker.

More than 98% of the shares voted at a special meeting held earlier in the day were in favor of the proposed transaction, the Santa Monica, California-based company said.

Microsoft said in January it had agreed to acquire Activision Blizzard for $95 per share in the biggest gaming industry deal in history as global technology giants stake their claims to a virtual future. read more

Activision, which is facing backlash over its response to allegations of internal sexual harassment and discrimination against female employees, missed estimates for first-quarter adjusted sales on Monday, hit by low demand for its latest title "Call of Duty: Vanguard". read more

Reporting by Tiyashi Datta in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Read Next