LinkedIn has had a busy morning.
The company announced it would be acquired by Microsoft for $26 billion on the same day that Apple's developer conference kicked off at 1 p.m.
LinkedIn had planned a viewing party in San Francisco so that its Apple developers could watch the World Wide Developers Conference. But shortly after it announced the deal with one of Apple's biggest rivals, the party was canceled.
A spokeswoman told CNNMoney that LinkedIn "decided to cancel the watch party so our employees can focus on our news today."
LinkedIn employees did not find out about the acquisition until Monday morning when it was publicly announced.
The watch party had been scheduled to last six hours.
Related: Microsoft to buy LinkedIn for $26 billion
Microsoft (MSFT)says LinkedIn (LNKD) will help it expand its cloud software business and eventually, its artificial intelligence systems. It will pay $196 per share in an all-cash deal that the companies expect will close by the end of the year.
The deal forced many investors to shift their focus from Apple, which was supposed to be the big news driver of the day.
"I don't think it's lost on anyone that Microsoft probably was very pleased to announce this just as people were starting to focus on the WWDC and the keynote presentation," said Scott Kessler, an analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence.
