Apple and Amazon are in talks to acquire Electronic Arts
Apple and Amazon have both spoken to Electronic Arts about a potential acquisition. Gaming studios are being acquired, and EA is no exception. However, they are determined to reach a deal that will benefit them in the long run. Microsoft announced in January that it will acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion and Sony followed a few weeks later with a deal to acquire Bungie for $3.6 billion. Looks like Electronic Arts — the studio behind FIFA, The Sims, Battlefield and other popular franchises — is seeking a potential buyer or merger that’ll unlock its full potential.
Apple and Amazon are reportedly in talks to acquire Electronic Arts, one of the world's leading game studios. This would be a major move for both companies, as acquiring EA would grant them access to a huge library of gaming IP. For Apple, this could be used to boost their upcoming Apple Arcade service, position their upcoming AR/VR headset as a gaming powerhouse, and even give their new streaming service more IP to play with. For Amazon, the acquisition would provide them with a major boost for their Amazon Luna cloud gaming service and Prime Video streaming service. Disney is also reportedly interested in acquiring EA, though their motivations are likely focused on access to EA's large pool of talent in order to help bolster their own Disney+ streaming service.
According to a new report from Puck, NBCUniversal approached Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson shortly after the Microsoft-Activision deal was announced. The idea would be to merge both companies, with Wilson as CEO of the combined entity. While it is not clear if Wilson is interested in the proposal, the report notes that the two companies have a lot in common. Both are major players in the gaming industry, and their merger would create a gaming powerhouse. Furthermore, the two companies already have a partnership in place, with NBCUniversal owning a minority stake in EA. As such, a merger could make sense from a strategic perspective. It remains to be seen if the two companies will actually come together, but it would certainly create a gaming behemoth if they did.
