The video game industry is in the middle of a gold rush of acquisitions. Microsoft, Sony, Embracer Group, and other companies are seeking new partners to acquire to help fill out their game release calenders. The reverse is also true, with companies exploring the possibility of being acquired, too. The latest example may come as a shock, however. A new report indicates Electronic Arts has been actively pursuing a sale or merger, and even came surprisingly close before the deal fell through.
The report comes from outlet Puck, which claims that Electronic Arts is having conversations with some of the tech industry's largest companies regarding the possibility of a sale or merger. The list of potential partners includes Apple, Amazon, Comcast-NBCUniversal, and even Disney. As an explanation, the report says that Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard "emboldened" the company to seek out possible partners to purchase it.
While details regarding most talks were left unsaid, the report does explain that a deal did move forward with Comcast-NBCUniversal at one point. The deal would have involved Comcast-NBCUniversal spinning off the NBCUniversal media portion of the company to merge with Electronic Arts. Comcast CEO Brian Roberts' family would take majority control of the new company, while EA CEO Andrew Wilson would stay on to run the company. The deal is said to have fallen through relatively recently over price and corporate structure post-merger.
A merger between Electronic Arts and another company is said to be its preference over an outright acquisition. It's also said that EA is trying to ensure that Wilson is retained as the company's CEO following the merger. Those expectations could explain why a deal hasn't gone through at this point.
Electronic Arts isn't the only company that's pursuing a different option than being directly acquired, of course. Ubisoft's CEO Yves Guillemot is reportedly trying to work with private equity firms in order to retain control of the company. It's said to be facing possible acquisition efforts from other private equity firms. It just goes to show that while the market may be conducive to good deals, not all deals are equal.
While the report doesn't clarify, it can likely be assumed that Electronic Arts will continue to explore the possibility of being acquired or merging with another company going forward. As strange as it may seem that EA could be acquired, few could have foreseen Microsoft picking up Activision Blizzard, too. Expect further reports on EA's plans going forward.
Source: Puck