Stadia Ventures

CMA Blocks Microsoft-Activision Deal: AdTech Implications Explored

The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) blocked Microsoft’s USD 69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, a decision later countered by the European Commission, which approved the purchase. The article examines the media and advertising implications of this regulatory split, arguing that a merged Microsoft-Activision portfolio could deliver greater scale for in-game advertising across PC, console, and mobile, and support ad-funded models for services like Xbox Game Pass. It notes that Microsoft has explored an ad-funded approach and filed a patent for in-game advertising within cloud gaming. The CMA’s concerns center on cloud gaming licensing and potential competitive constraints, including references to Stadia as a cautionary example. The piece also mentions broader regulatory activity, such as CMA scrutiny around Adobe’s Figma acquisition and the role of cloud partnerships (e.g., NVIDIA) in gaming monetization.

The Great Roku And Nielsen Alliance; Walmart Wields The Power Of The Purse

AdExchanger's Friday roundup highlights two major industry moves: Roku and Nielsen deepen their advertising measurement alliance, with Roku named as a pilot media partner for Nielsen's Total Ad Ratings (four-screen measurement launching in December) to support Nielsen ONE’s cross-video inventory. Roku’s logged-in inventory can be linked to the Roku OneView DSP (formerly DataXu), improving identity-driven measurement across TV, desktop, and mobile. Roku previously acquired Nielsen’s ACR data business from Gracenote and Sorenson Media. Separately, Walmart+ is expanding into media by including an AVOD subscription to Paramount+ and six months of Spotify Premium, complemented by loyalty perks such as fuel discounts, in-store scan-and-go payments, and improved fulfillment economics. The roundup also notes Google Stadia’s shutdown, with refunds and access to library content ending January 18, 2023.

Convergence 2.0: Gaming and Video Entwined

The article traces the rising overlap between online video and gaming, highlighting how user-generated livestreams have long thrived with gaming communities. It recounts Justin.tv’s gaming segment evolving into TwitchTV in 2011, which Amazon acquired for $970 million in cash in 2014, underscoring gaming’s ability to pull large audiences on UGC platforms like YouTube. The piece describes a wave of cloud-gaming and interactivity efforts by Microsoft, Amazon, and Google, including Google Stadia’s planned YouTube integrations with Crowd Play (audience-joined play) and State Share (shared playable scenarios). It notes Microsoft’s Mixer shutdown with a Facebook Gaming partnership and rumbles of deeper xCloud integrations, and Amazon’s Project Tempo linking with Twitch. Ubisoft’s Hyper Scape trial with Twitch viewers voting on modifiers showcases early interactive gameplay. Industry voices suggest such tie-ins could spawn new genres and monetize streams, though most viewers may still prefer passive viewing over immediate participation.