In recent years, the world of video games has undergone great upheaval. With the acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft (for $68.7 billion) and Bungie (Destiny) by Sony, it was Electronic Arts’ turn to look for a buyer.
The publisher recently made the news when they announced they were terminating their agreement with FIFA. Indeed, there will be no FIFA 23 (by EA), but the series of football games will continue under a different name and always with official licenses of clubs, stadiums and players.
EA insists, but not in a hurry
According to the Puck website, Electronic Arts would have had many discussions about a takeover or merger. Note that in the event of a merger, EA wants to keep Andrew Wilson as CEO (of the new combined company).
The publisher has reportedly been in talks with several high-profile companies such as Disney, Apple and Amazon, but it is not known who might be interested in a merger or acquisition. Here again, according to Park, is what we know about the various negotiations.
In March, Disney was approached to forge a “more meaningful relationship” that would go beyond a simple licensing deal. However, Disney hasn’t followed the exchange, definitely preferring to focus on growing its streaming service: Disney+. The possibility of a merger with ESPN remains mentioned.
One could negotiate with Comcast, whose CEO Brian Roberts would propose a merger with NBCUniversal. In the event of an agreement, Wilson could have retained his position as CEO, although the majority of the shares would have been in the hands of Roberts. Although the project seemed well-conceived, the agreement would have fallen through due to a dispute over the sale price and differences of opinion on the final structure of the established organization.
According to EA spokesman John Reseburg, if the company is actively looking for a buyer, the deal will still not be completed. He spoke to announce that the company would not comment on the sale (or merger) rumors, while reminding that EA could “operate from a position of strength” by relying on “powerful intellectual property” as well as a network that has more than 500 million players.
Engadget