EA talks mergers with NBCUniversal as 30-year FIFA partnership faces final whistle
Electronic Arts was reportedly in talks with NBCUniversal about a potential merger, just months before it announced the end of its three-decade partnership with FIFA.
According to initial reports from Puck, EA also entered M&A chats with Amazon, Apple and Disney “in recent years”.
It is understood that negotiations with Disney happened as late as March this year, while a deal with NBCUniversal fell though due to pricing disagreements. Sources suggest the company is keen for a sale in the near future.
EA spokesperson John Reseburg said the company doesn’t comment “on rumours and speculation relating to M&A”, but 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. We see a very bright future ahead.”
Earlier this month, FIFA ended its relationship with EA, stating that it wanted launch new video games developed by third-party studios and publishers.
The company has however granted a new short-term extension to EA Sports to launch a new “FIFA 23” title later this year.
“Several sources familiar with these talks say EA has been persistent in pursuing a sale, and has only grown more emboldened in the wake of the Microsoft-Activision deal. Others say that EA is primarily interested in a merger arrangement that would allow Wilson to remain as chief executive of the combined company,” sources told the website Puck.