WOW Second Quarter Results

WOW Second Quarter Results
Activision Blizzard Reports Preliminary Second Quarter Results
SANTA MONICA, Calif. –(BUSINESS WIRE)– Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) (the “Company”), a global leader in interactive entertainment, announced today that it reached an agreement under which it will acquire from Vivendi ( Euronext Paris : VIV) approximately 429 million Company shares and certain tax attributes, in exchange for approximately $5.83 billion in cash, or $13.60 per share acquired before taking into account the future benefit from these tax attributes. In a simultaneous transaction, ASAC II LP , an investment vehicle led by Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick and Co-Chairman Brian Kelly , to which they have personally committed $100 million combined, separately will purchase approximately 172 million Company shares from Vivendi for approximately $2.34 billion in cash, or $13.60 per share.

Following the completion of the transaction, Activision Blizzard will be an independent company with the majority of its shares owned by the public. The Company will be led by Bobby Kotick as Chief Executive Officer and Brian Kelly as Chairman. Vivendi will no longer be the majority shareholder, but will retain a stake of 83 million shares or approximately 12%. ASAC II LP—the investor group which, in addition to Kotick and Kelly, includes Davis Advisors, Leonard Green & Partners, L.P. , Tencent, as well as one of the largest global institutional investors—will own a stake of approximately 24.9%.

Activision Blizzard expects that its new outstanding share count and capital structure (which will include approximately $1.4 billion of net debt) will result in expected pro forma 2013 earnings-per-share (EPS) accretion of between 18% and 29% on a GAAP basis and between 23% and 33% on a non-GAAP basis.

Bobby Kotick , CEO of Activision Blizzard , said, “These transactions together represent a tremendous opportunity for Activision Blizzard and all its shareholders, including Vivendi . We should emerge even stronger—an independent company with a best-in-class franchise portfolio and the focus and flexibility to drive long-term shareholder value and expand our leadership position as one of the world’s most important entertainment companies. The transactions announced today will allow us to take advantage of attractive financing markets while still retaining more than $3 billion cash on hand to preserve financial stability.”

Mr. Kotick continued, “Our successful combination with Blizzard Entertainment five years ago brought together some of the best creative and business talent in the industry and some of the most beloved entertainment franchises in the world, including Call of Duty® and World of Warcraft®. Since that time, we have generated over $5.4 billion in operating cash flow and returned more than $4 billion of that to shareholders via buybacks and dividends. We are grateful for Vivendi’s partnership through this period, and we look forward to their continued support.”

Activision Blizzard will fund the acquisition with the combination of approximately $1.2 billion of domestic cash on hand and approximately $4.6 billion of debt proceeds, net of fees and upfront interest, accessed through the capital markets and bank financing. The Company has received committed financing for the transaction from Bank of America Merrill Lynch and J.P. Morgan . The transaction is expected to close by the end of September 2013 , subject to customary closing conditions.