Electronic Arts (EA ) is looking for a new owner or a company to merge with, according to reports.
Video game giant Electronic Arts ( EA ) has begun a search for a company to buy or merge, according to a new report.
According to Puck , the company has already held talks with entertainment giants like Disney, Apple and Amazon.
Merge or buy, whichever comes first
Electronic Arts approached Disney in March in an attempt to forge “a more meaningful relationship” that would go beyond licensing deals, according to the source. However, Disney decided not to go ahead, perhaps because it is currently focused on its Disney+ service . For example, one idea was to combine EA with ESPN, taking advantage of the large number of sports games that the company has such as Madden or FIFA ( which will be renamed EA Sports FC ).
Of all the potential partners, however, it was perhaps Comcast that came closest to a deal. Comcast CEO Brian Roberts reportedly approached Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson with an offer to merge NBCUniversal with his company.
Under the deal, Roberts would take majority control of the merged company, but Wilson would remain CEO. However, the people involved disagreed on the sale price and structure of the combined entity, and the deal fell through in the last month.
In the event of merging the company, Electronic Arts is looking to Wilson to remain CEO of the combined company.
sales per million
The millionaire purchase of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft for 68 billion dollars has moved the entire video game industry.
EA spokesman John Reseburg told Puck that the company would not comment “on rumors and speculation related to mergers and acquisitions.” He also noted: “We are proud to be operating from a position of strength and growth, with a portfolio of amazing games, built around powerful intellectual property, built by incredibly talented teams and a network of over half a billion players. We see a very bright future ahead.”