Electronic Arts (EA), the firm behind titles such as “Battlefield” and “FC,” is reportedly in advanced negotiations to go private at a valuation close to $50 billion. A consortium of investors — including private equity firm Silver Lake, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners — may unveil a formal takeover proposal as early as next week.
If successful, this would become the largest leveraged buyout in history. The move is seen as strategically timed: EA is depending heavily on major franchises like Battlefield 6 and FC 26 to sustain revenue in a gaming market where consumer spending is under pressure.
Analysts note that EA is an appealing target because of its stable cash flows and recurring revenue from yearly gaming releases. On the day the news broke, EA’s shares surged by about 15%.
The reported sale aligns with broader consolidation trends in the gaming industry, where big players are increasingly absorbing rivals—reducing the number of publicly traded video-game firms.
As for the investors:
- PIF has been aggressively expanding into gaming and sees EA’s globally recognized sports franchises as valuable cultural and economic assets.
- Silver Lake is well known for large tech buyouts.
- Affinity Partners, led by Jared Kushner, has backing from Middle Eastern funds.
Requests for comment from EA, PIF, and Affinity were unanswered at the time of reporting; Silver Lake declined comment.
