Electronic Arts is actively pursuing a sale or merger, and has spoken to Disney, Apple, Amazon and Comcast-NBCUniversal about the possibility, according to a report published Friday by the news site Puck (paywall).
The Comcast-NBCUniversal talks are said to have made the most progress, with Comcast CEO Brian Roberts proposing an NBCUniversal spin-off and a merger with EA, but the deal ultimately fell apart in April.
"The general terms of the proposal, which lawyers and bankers for both sides negotiated for several weeks, would have seen the Roberts family take majority control of the combine entity," Puck reports. "In the configuration most seriously discussed, the company would have been run by [EA CEO Andrew] Wilson."
Ultimately, Puck reports the deal fell apart over disagreements around pricing and structure. But EA continues to seek a sale, particularly after the announcement of Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision for $68.7 billion. Some of Puck's sources say EA is "primarily interested in a merger arrangement that would allow Wilson to remain as chief executive of the combined company."
A Comcast spokesperson declined to comment on the report, while EA said it doesn't "comment on rumors and speculation relating to M&A."
"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. We see a very bright future ahead," EA spokesperson John Reseburg told Kotaku in a statement.
Mergers and acquisitions hit an $85 billion peak in 2021, and that number is forecasted to nearly double this year, in large part because of Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition. Other major acquisitions include Take-Two's buyout of Zynga for $12.7 billion and Sony's deal to buy Bungie for $3.6 billion.
