A new report indicates that Disney senior executives want CEO Bob Iger to consider buying a major game publisher like Electronic Arts.
Per Bloomberg, Iger faces mounting pressure from executives to expand Disney’s brand into game publishing through an acquisition. According to the report, which details many of the company’s ongoing internal struggles, executives suggested a “bolder transformation … from gaming licensee to gaming giant.”
Why Disney might seek to buy EA
EA has been courting a purchase or merger since May 2022. Reports indicated EA sought such a deal following recent M&A activity, like Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Reportedly, EA spoke with Disney, Apple, and Amazon, among others, about a possible deal. Since then, EA has made it easier for such a purchase by splitting itself into EA Sports and EA Entertainment.
Several IPs owned by Disney have games in the works or recently published by EA. Respawn Entertainment‘s Star Wars Jedi series released the second game, Survivor, earlier this year. That series reportedly has at least one more game in the works. In 2020, EA also published Star Wars: Squadrons to favorable reviews.
Disney also owns Marvel, which established a deal with EA for a series of games based on its comics. One, an Iron Man single-player, first-person action-adventure title, was announced in September 2022, along with a tease for several other games as part of the partnership. In July 2023, EA and its new studio, Cliffhanger, confirmed reports of a Black Panther game in the works. Similarly, the Black Panther game will be a third-person, single-player title.
However, the new report indicates that Iger remains “noncommittal” to the possibility. Iger is now in his second tenure as Disney CEO. During his previous run, he oversaw the purchase of Marvel Entertainment, Lucasfilm, Pixar, and 21st Century Fox.
