Saudi PIF and Kushner's Affinity Close $55B EA Sports Takeover
EA Sports is going private in a $55B deal. Shareholders get $210 per share as the stock exits Nasdaq.
Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund and Jared Kushner's private equity firm Affinity Partners have finalized a landmark $55 billion acquisition of EA Sports, one of the largest takeovers ever recorded in the gaming industry. The deal marks a dramatic shift for the storied video game publisher, which built global franchises around titles like FIFA and Madden NFL over several decades.
As part of the transaction's close, EA confirmed its shares have stopped trading and will be formally delisted from the Nasdaq stock exchange. Existing shareholders are set to receive $210 in cash for each share they held, a payout that effectively ends EA's run as a publicly traded company.
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The deal represents a significant deepening of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund into the global entertainment and media landscape, a strategy the kingdom has aggressively pursued in recent years through sports rights, gaming investments, and cultural acquisitions. For Kushner's Affinity Partners, the transaction signals an increasingly high-profile role on the world stage for the firm, which has drawn scrutiny over its ties to Gulf sovereign capital.
The privatization of EA removes one of the most recognized brands in interactive entertainment from public markets, leaving analysts to watch closely whether the new ownership structure accelerates franchise expansion or reshapes the company's product strategy. Gaming industry observers note that private ownership can allow executives to pursue longer-term bets without the pressure of quarterly earnings cycles.
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