Wall St Journal to Disney: Buy EA

[2099net]

http://kotaku.com/5075163/wall-street-j ... ney-buy-ea

I'm not sure I follow the logic of this - I wouldn't put Disney and EA down as having a perfect synergy with each other (it would be better for Disney to buy a company like THQ if they really wanted to get into the games publishing business big time IMO) but there it is.

I suppose if Disney owned EA they could add ESPN to all the EA sports games titles, but EA just doesn't have the family friendly reputation Disney would most likely be after.

[2099net]

The rumour has been ressurected!

http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdail ... onic-arts/

I think this would be a good idea - Disney's a media company, and a large media company should have a games presence. I know they do have Disney Interactive Studios, but they have no publisher, and some of the non-Disney games (such as Pure) tend to get lost on the shelves. Also, as I mentioned before, ESPN and EA Sports seems like a match made in heaven.

[Sotiris]

In recent years, as media companies have taken greater interest in the rapidly-growing gaming industry, Wilson and Electronic Arts have held talks with a number of different potential suitors, including Disney, Apple and Amazon, sources with knowledge of those talks told me. Several sources familiar with these talks say EA has been persistent in pursuing a sale, and has only grown more emboldened in the wake of the Microsoft-Activision deal. Others say that EA is primarily interested in a merger arrangement that would allow Wilson to remain as chief executive of the combined company.

Meanwhile, another notable idea that has been bandied about among the Sun Valley set in recent years would see Disney spin off ESPN and combine it with Electronic Arts. As I reported last October, Bob Chapek came into his job more open than his predecessor to entertaining an ESPN spin off. There is also some notable history between these two companies. In early 2018, following the sudden resignation of ESPN chief John Skipper, then-Disney C.E.O. Bob Iger tried to recruit Wilson to be head of the sports network. Wilson passed, and the job went to Jimmy Pitaro.

Nevertheless, Wilson continues to eye a Disney tie-up: Electronic Arts approached Disney as recently as March in pursuit of what sources described as “a more meaningful relationship” than licensing deals—though it’s not clear whether that meant an ESPN-EA tie-up, some sort of try-before-you-buy arrangement, or a direct sale. Whatever the case, Disney decided not to pursue those conversations. Indeed, the market seems so focused on Disney+’s subscriber growth, and Chapek has other important items on his grocery list, such as buying the enormously expensive rights to the Indian Premier League, the country’s top cricket league, which is essential to its international strategy, and potentially buying Roberts out of Hulu in a few years.

Source: https://puck.news/brian-roberts-one-that-got-away/

[PatrickvD]

I love that there’s 14 years in-between updates in this story.

[Jules]

I love that there’s 14 years in-between updates in this story.

Sorry, I have nothing to add, but this made me lol.

[Disney's Divinity]

Disney's motivations don't change through the decades, so I'm not surprised they were thinking about this before. Eventually, Disney will own everything.

[Sotiris]

According to Bloomberg, those close to Disney CEO Bob Iger are pushing for a "transformation" of the company. In this pursuit, it has been suggested that Disney become more entrenched in the video game industry, which it currently doesn't have much of a direct involvement with. To do this, some are said to be suggesting that Iger look to buy Electronic Arts, which would give Disney a stronger foothold in the gaming market than ever before. Iger himself is said to be "noncommittal" about the idea, though, which makes it sound like he isn't fully on board with this plan.

Source: https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/disne ... er-report/

[Sotiris]

Disney wanted to buy Activision Blizzard back in the early '00s.

Disney’s board questioned the wisdom of the company’s $5.2 billion acquisition of the cable network Fox Family from Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. when the channel later struggled to find an identity. After that, the board grew more conservative about acquisitions. In 2003 and 2004, for example, Disney was in previously unreported talks to acquire videogame maker Activision Blizzard, discussions that fell apart, according to people familiar with the matter.

Source: https://www.wsj.com/business/media/disn ... s-19c58496

[Patricier21]

Surprised Disney has not considered buying square Enix, EH? After all, they gave them access to the kingdom of their hearts……