Electronic Arts (EA) is reportedly looking for potential acquisitions. The publisher of notable series like Madden, FIFA and Battlefield, has reportedly already met with companies like NBCUniversal, Apple, Disney to discuss a takeover.
EA is in a state of flux right now. The exclusivity agreement with FIFA comes to an end this year, which led to the license changing its name to EA Sports FC. The exclusivity deal with Disney also expires in 2023 and is unlikely to be renewed.and four new Star Wars games have therefore been announced as early as next year.
To better cope with these major changes, Electronic Arts would therefore be actively looking for a buyer or another company ready to merge with it. The video game company is said to have had discussions with a number of potential buyers or partners, including Disney, Apple, Amazon or NBCUniversalbut talks with most companies wouldn’t have really worked out.
Electronic Arts continues to search for a buyer
Talks with Comcast-owned NBCUniversal were the most serious. As part of this agreement, Comcast-NBCUniversal would separate from the media part of the NBCUniversal company to merge with Electronic Arts. The family of Comcast CEO Brian Roberts would have taken majority control of the new company, while EA CEO Andrew Wilson would remain at the helm of the company. The problem is that the two companies probably did not failed to reach a deal due to disagreements over the takeover price.
According to informed sources of the Puck media, this first round of unsuccessful negotiations didn’t deter EA and the company continues to look to sell. Some of these sources have also stated that EA is primarily interested in a merger deal that would keep company CEO Andrew Wilson in charge. For its part, Ubisoft would also like to avoid a complete takeover to keep control over its games.
The EA team declined to comment on the ongoing speculation, with spokesperson John Reeseburg responding to Puck’s inquiries saying, ” We’re proud to operate from a position of strength and growth, with a portfolio of amazing games, built around powerful IP, made by incredibly talented teams, and a network of over half a billion gamers. . We see a very bright future ahead of us “.
Source: Puck