EA to acquire Codemasters

Remember that news article from around a month ago where Take-Two Interactive was seeking to pick up Codemasters? Well apparently that didn’t work out, or Electronic Arts presented a better deal, because EA is now set to acquire the UK-based racing videogame studio instead.

So Formula One, DiRT, DiRT Rally, Grid and Project Cars will join Need for Speed in EA’s stable of racing experiences beginning next year.

The acquisition, valued at around $1.2 billion, is slated to be completed by Q1 2021… assuming another company doesn’t swoop in.

Check out the press release below.

Today, Electronic Arts Inc. announced that it has reached an agreement with the Board of Codemasters for the recommended acquisition of Codemasters, the UK-based game developer and publisher. In the transaction, Codemasters’ shareholders will be entitled to receive 604 pence (approximately US$7.98*) in cash for each ordinary share of Codemasters with an implied enterprise value of US$1.2 billion*. The acquisition is anticipated to be completed in the first quarter of calendar 2021.

?Electronic Arts and Codemasters have a shared ambition to lead the video game racing category. The Board of Codemasters firmly believes the company would benefit from EA?s knowledge, resources and extensive global scale ? both overall and specifically within the racing sector. We feel this union would provide an exciting and prosperous future for Codemasters, allowing our teams to create, launch and service bigger and better games to an extremely passionate audience,? said Gerhard Florin, the Chairman of Codemasters.

?We believe there is a deeply compelling opportunity in bringing together Codemasters and Electronic Arts to create amazing and innovative new racing games for fans. Our industry is growing, the racing category is growing, and together we will be positioned to lead in a new era of racing entertainment. We have admired Codemasters? creative talent and high-quality games for many years. With the full leverage of EA?s technology, platform expertise, and global reach, this combination will allow us to grow our existing franchises and deliver more industry-defining racing experiences to a global fan base. We are pleased that both our Boards of Directors are recommending this transaction, and we look forward to welcoming such an exciting and talented team to the Electronic Arts family,? said Andrew Wilson, CEO of Electronic Arts.

Strategic Rationale:

• Electronic Arts believes the combination of EA and Codemasters will enable further growth and success for Codemasters and EA?s popular and innovative racing franchises.

• Bringing together the combined expertise and talent from Codemasters? critically-acclaimed sports and racing franchises Formula One, DiRT, DiRT Rally, Grid and Project Cars with EA?s global Need for Speed franchise, fan-favorite Real Racing mobile game and EA SPORTS brands will enable our teams to innovate further, and meaningfully increase the delivery of content and experiences to a growing, global audience for racing entertainment.

• Codemasters? deep creative talent which has produced high-quality racing games for many years, including the Formula One franchise that continues to deliver great entertainment for F1?s growing fan base.

• EA believes it can help accelerate Codemasters? performance by leveraging EA?s deep expertise in live services operations, game analytics and technology. In addition, EA?s central services teams across development technology, art & motion capture, quality verification, compliance, and localization will all be resources available to Codemasters.

• EA?s global publishing, marketing and game development support capabilities will also strengthen Codemasters? existing capabilities, expanding the addressable market for Codemasters? franchises.

• The combination of Codemasters and Electronic Arts will enable the development and delivery of a market-leading portfolio of creative and exciting racing games and content to more platforms and more players around the world.

• The union also creates ongoing and expanded ways for players to engage with the combined portfolio of sports and racing games through EA?s industry-leading multi-platform subscription services.

• Bringing together Codemasters and Electronic Arts also delivers compelling financial benefit to the combined group. The acquisition is expected to grow net bookings and underlying profitability.

• Frank Sagnier, Chief Executive Officer of Codemasters, and Rashid Varachia, Chief Financial Officer of Codemasters, along with the senior executive management team of Codemasters intend to remain with Codemasters following completion of the acquisition and will continue to lead the Codemasters business within EA?s organization.

For more information on the acquisition, please visit: investor.ea.com.

*US$ equivalent values are stated at an exchange rate of US$ 1.3211:?1 on December 11, 2020. Enterprise value based on Codemasters? audited balance sheet as of March 31, 2020.

UBS Investment Bank is acting as financial adviser to Electronic Arts and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP is acting as legal adviser to EA.

Jefferies International Limited is acting as financial adviser and joint-broker, and Liberum Capital Limited is acting as nominated adviser and joint-broker to Codemasters in respect of the acquisition. Gowling WLG (UK) LLP is acting as legal adviser to Codemasters.

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