Amazon Likely to Win MGM Acquisition Case in EU, Report Says

Amazon is likely to claim victory in a European Union antitrust court regarding its case to buy movie studio MGM for $8.5 billion, Reuters reported Wednesday (March 9). The European Commission will make its decision by March 15.

The move will see Amazon stepping up its competition with streaming titans like Netflix and Disney+.

The deal will also enhance to Amazon’s Prime Video streaming service by adding more content. The acquisition would give Amazon access to the James Bond franchise rights, which has earned almost $7 billion at the box office worldwide, according to the report.

MGM also licenses content for video games, which could help Amazon with development efforts in that area, the report stated.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also plans to decide on the deal by mid-March, according to the report.

In other Amazon news, the company has been making changes to its plans for grocery, including moving its delivery gig workers to the company’s Whole Foods division.

Read more: Amazon Offers Grocery Gig Workers Whole Foods Staff Jobs

The goal is to help the company better compete with Walmart and newer apps like Instacart and DoorDash.

The change, which was announced in late February, will make the workers Whole Foods employees and give them longer shifts.

Now, schedules will be made up to three weeks ahead of time and will cover two-week periods, going back on Amazon’s plan to count shift flexibility as a benefit.

Amazon has also acquired eCommerce software company Veeqo.

See more: Amazon Acquires Online Business Management Startup Veeqo

Veeqo’s services help make tools for online businesses to sell items on and off Amazon. The deal went down in November, but Amazon didn’t publicize it then.

Amazon has around 40% of the U.K. eCommerce market. But the company has pushed to sell on digital platforms like eBay, Etsy, Shopify and Walmart, charging sellers for services and other third-party logistics.