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Electronic Arts, the maker of popular video games like Madden 26 and College Football 26, is being sold to the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia, private-equity firm Silver Lake, and investment firm Affinity Partners for $55 billion. It is, according to the companies involved, the “largest all-cash sponsor take-private investment in history.”
“Our new partners bring deep experience across sports, gaming, and entertainment,” Chairman & CEO of Electronic Arts, Andrew Wilson, who will reportedly continue in his current role, said in a note to employees about the deal. “They are committed with conviction to EA – they believe in our people, our leadership, and the long-term vision we are now building together.”
Affinity CEO Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, said in a statement: “I’ve admired their ability to create iconic, lasting experiences, and as someone who grew up playing their games - and now enjoys them with his kids – I couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead.”
“PIF is uniquely positioned in the global gaming and esports sectors, building and supporting ecosystems that connect fans, developers, and IP creators,” said Turqi Alnowaiser, Deputy Governor and Head of International Investments at PIF. “PIF has demonstrated a strong commitment to these sectors, and this partnership will help further drive EA’s long-term growth, while fueling innovation within the industry on a global scale.”
The Saudi Public Investment Fund will be the majority investor, by a significant amount, once the deal closes, probably in the first quarter of fiscal 2027. $20 billion of the purchase price will come in the form of debt financing from JPMorgan.
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan has already seen the PIF invest in sports and sports-adjacent entities such as LIV Golf, the Professional Fighters League, broadcaster DAZN, and Take-Two Interactive – the makers of the NBA2K video game, as well as stakes in Activision Blizzard – the makers of the Call of Duty, Candy Crush, and Overwatch games. It also has partnerships with the ATP and WTA tennis tours and professional wrestling giant WWE.
The Saudi PIF portfolio has been calculated to be more than $23.8 billion and includes or has included holdings in companies like Uber, Mastercard, Home Depot, Merck & Co., Eli Lilly, UnitedHealth Group, NVIDIA, Alphabet, Amazon, Netflix, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Walmart, Meta Platforms, PayPal, and Apple.
Gamers react to the sale of Electronic Arts
“Well the college football game will never hurt for money and NIL ever again,” one gamer wrote on X.
“Wow, I didn’t know there was an instant way to make the worst video game company on the planet worse. Until now!” another gamer complained.
“Gamers, you will be enriching Saudis,” read another comment.
“There is a larger discussion to be had about Muslim royals buying out major stakes our outright purchasing large American entertainment properties,” someone else wrote. “The amount of foreign ownership of US assets between China and the Middle East has to end.”