Electronic Arts (EA) has agreed to a historic $55 billion take-private transaction, the largest leveraged buyout ever recorded. The deal is led by Silver Lake, alongside Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Affinity Partners, with JPMorgan expected to provide more than $20 billion in financing.
The move comes amid a surge of capital into sports and gaming, two of the fastest-growing asset classes in global markets. EA’s crown jewels include its FIFA (soon EA Sports FC), Madden NFL, and Apex Legends franchises, which are globally recognized properties with recurring revenues from live-service gameplay, esports integration, and high-value sponsorships.
The record-breaking deal underscores not only the scale of appetite for gaming and sports assets but also the way digital extensions of traditional sports, from esports leagues to branded in-game partnerships, are becoming core investment targets for the world’s largest pools of capital.
Simultaneously, take-private deals are enjoying a resurgence. With public markets volatile and companies facing pressure to meet quarterly targets, sponsors are moving aggressively to acquire household names and reposition them for long-term growth.
By combining Silver Lake’s expertise in digital platforms with PIF’s patient capital, the consortium is betting that EA can evolve into a foundational piece of global sports and entertainment infrastructure. If completed, the deal would not only make EA the largest privately held gaming company but also underscore two converging forces: the frenzy of investor activity in sports-related assets and the rising popularity of mega-scale take-privates as a tool to reshape the global media and technology landscape.
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