EA has reportedly had acquisition talks with "a number of different potential suitors" including Disney, Apple, and Amazon, and most recently NBCUniversal.
FIFA 22
Electronic Arts management is reportedly considering selling the company or entering into a merger agreement. That's according to Dylan Byers, Puck's veteran media reporter who previously worked for CNN and NBC News.
The report reads that EA has been in talks with "a number of different potential suitors" which include Disney, Apple, and Amazon.
Citing his own sources, Byers noted that EA CEO Andrew Wilson also had negotiations with NBCUniversal boss Brian Roberts on the potential merger agreement, although the deal eventually wasn't concluded. The companies reportedly pulled out of the deal in April "due to disagreements over price and structure".
According to Byers, EA approached Disney in March this year, but the timeline of other alleged negotiations was not specified.
Byers also noted that EA has been "persistent pursuing the sale" in recent years, and became especially active in the wake of Microsoft's deal to purchase Activision Blizzard.
It Takes Two
When asked for a comment on the matter, EA spokesperson, John Reseburg, told Puck that the company would not comment "on rumors and speculation relating to M&A". He also added: "We are proud to be operating 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 more than half a billion players".
Apple, Amazon, and Disney also declined to comment.
Recently, it was also reported that another gaming giant, Ubisoft, is preparing for a takeover with several private equity firms being interested in purchasing the French publisher. However, in the earnings call following its FY2022 financial results, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot reiterated that there are no such plans saying that the company has "everything [it needs] to remain independent".
You can find the original report here. Also, don't forget to join our new Reddit page, our new Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, where we are sharing breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.