When EA’s massive $55 billion buyout went through in September, most of us thought the story ended there. But now, fresh reports are revealing something interesting: Netflix actually considered buying EA long before the Saudi PIF-led deal came together.
According to Bloomberg’s internal reporting, Netflix executives debated whether they should try acquiring EA, Fox, or even Disney. The news coming after a historical $82.7 billion Warner Bros. acquisition is also making things interesting.
However, the report also adds that the talks never became serious because Netflix’s leadership couldn’t reach a full agreement, and they were worried that making a move that big would spook investors. Meanwhile, EA had been surrounded by acquisition rumours for years, with companies like Amazon and Disney previously linked to potential deals.
Today, Netflix announced our acquisition of Warner Bros. Together, we’ll define the next century of storytelling, creating an extraordinary entertainment offering for audiences everywhere. https://t.co/rXPFMNIs1A pic.twitter.com/0pdsMUEob8
— Netflix (@netflix) December 5, 2025But in September, EA finally confirmed its future: a historic all-cash buyout led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners. The agreement valued EA at $55 billion, making it the largest take-private deal in gaming history.
If Netflix had pulled the trigger, you would be seeing a completely different gaming landscape today. Instead, Netflix shifted its attention to Warner Bros., where it is now pursuing an $82 billion deal with Paramount also joining the race with a $108.4 billion offer.
If things had gone differently, Netflix could’ve seen the future of running EA. Imagine opening the Netflix app and seeing franchises like EA FC and The Sims Online all built into the platform. It is a wild alternate timeline, indeed, but would have been fun too.
