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Electronic Arts nears takeover by Silver Lake, PIF

Electronic Arts nears takeover by Silver Lake, PIF

By Swedan Margen

Fashion

Video-game maker Electronic Arts, is in talks to be taken private by a consortium led by Silver Lake Management, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The company, known for popular titles such as Madden NFL, The Sims and Battlefield, could announce a deal as soon as next week, said the sources, who asked not to be identified discussing confidential information.

JPMorgan Chase is working on a financing package for the buyers, the sources added.

A takeover of Electronic Arts would rank among the biggest deals announced so far in 2025 and potentially the largest leveraged buyout of all time, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Shares of Redwood City, California-based Electronic Arts closed about 15 per cent higher at US$193.35 at in New York, giving the company a market value of roughly US$48 billion.

Representatives for Electronic Arts and PIF did not respond to a request for comment. Silver Lake, Affinity Partners and JPMorgan declined to comment.

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The Wall Street Journal reported on the talks earlier Friday, while the Financial Times wrote about the financing details.

Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, founded the investment firm Affinity Partners during the first Trump administration and is backed by foreign investors, including from the Middle East.

After struggling at the beginning of 2025 due to the underperformance of its latest soccer game, EA Sports FC 25, Electronic Arts has bounced back, citing “better-than-expected contributions” across its portfolio in its most recent earnings call.

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Earlier this year, EA reduced its bookings estimate for the fiscal year following the miss of its latest soccer game, EA Sports FC 25.

Electronic Arts will release Battlefield 6 on Oct 10, competing with Microsoft’s Call of Duty for the video-game shooter market.

The takeover discussions coincide with a period of sluggish growth for the video-game industry, which has shed tens of thousands of jobs over the last three years following a swell of players during the Covid-19 lockdowns.

Earlier this year, Electronic Arts cut hundreds of staff, its third mass layoff since 2023. BLOOMBERG

Originally published by businesstimes.com.sg. Syndicated material does not necessarily reflect the views of Grazia British.

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