It has already held negotiations with possible partners such as Disney, Apple, and Amazon, according to "Puck."
According to Puck, Electronic Arts is actively (and continuously) seeking a buyer or another company prepared to merge with it. According to reports, Disney, Apple, and Amazon were among the potential purchasers or partners for the video game company. It's unknown which companies were interested in buying EA outright and which were hoping to merge, but Puck said EA is looking for a deal that allows Andrew Wilson to remain CEO of the combined business.
According to the insider, EA approached Disney in March in an attempt to build "a more meaningful connection" that would go beyond licensing negotiations. Disney, on the other hand, chose not to proceed, possibly because it is currently focused on its young streaming service. According to the journal, a combination between EA and ESPN, which Disney controls in part, is being discussed in the business.
However, of all the potential partners, Comcast came the closest to striking a deal. Wilson was approached by Comcast CEO Brian Roberts with a proposition to unite NBCUniversal and EA. Roberts would gain majority control of the amalgamated business as part of the arrangement, but Wilson would stay CEO. However, the parties involved couldn't agree on the sale price or the combined entity's structure, and the deal fell through within the final month.
For the time being, EA is a stand-alone firm, but Puck stated that since Microsoft revealed its $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, it has become more confident in its search for a sale or merger, so that may not be the case for long. It's worth noting that, just after Microsoft announced the deal, Sony announced that it was buying Bungie, the Destiny studio, for $3.6 billion.
EA representative John Reseburg told Puck that the business would not comment on "mergers and acquisitions rumors and speculation."
Reseburg continued: "With a portfolio of outstanding games built on compelling IP, created by tremendously brilliant teams, and a network of more than half a billion players, we are happy to be operating from a position of strength and growth. We see a bright future ahead of us."
