The gaming industry is undergoing its most significant transformation in decades as Electronic Arts Inc. faces a $55 billion acquisition that would mark the largest leveraged buyout in corporate history. According to Channelchek, a Noble Financial Group digital market platform, Silver Lake Partners, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners will pay $210 per share to take the gaming giant private, surpassing the previous record $32 billion TXU utility buyout from 2007.
This monumental transaction would end EA's 36-year history as a publicly traded company, which began with its 1989 initial public offering at a split-adjusted 52 cents per share. The deal arrives at a critical juncture for Electronic Arts, which has been confronting stagnant revenues and intensifying competition in the rapidly evolving gaming landscape. The acquisition follows Microsoft's $69 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard in 2023, highlighting the accelerating consolidation trend across the interactive entertainment sector.
The move to private ownership would position EA to undertake substantial restructuring without facing the quarterly performance pressures that characterize public markets. This strategic shift could enable the company to make longer-term investments in its portfolio of iconic gaming franchises, including Madden NFL, Battlefield, The Sims, and Apex Legends. More information about EA's extensive game portfolio is available at https://www.ea.com/news.
Electronic Arts, which reported GAAP net revenue of approximately $7.5 billion in fiscal year 2025, has been a dominant force in digital interactive entertainment since its founding. The company develops and delivers games, content and online services for internet-connected consoles, mobile devices and personal computers. Its acquisition represents not only a financial milestone but also a strategic response to the changing dynamics of the gaming industry, where scale and private capital are becoming increasingly important competitive advantages.
The full Channelchek report detailing this historic transaction can be accessed at https://ibn.fm/zOLdl. This acquisition underscores the growing influence of private equity and sovereign wealth funds in the technology and entertainment sectors, while potentially setting a new precedent for how major gaming companies might navigate the challenges of public market expectations versus long-term strategic planning.
