DVDizzy Forum

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.

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

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.

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.