Why EA Going Private Matters for Asia's Marketers and Gaming Audiences
A Saudi-backed buyout of EA signals long-term bets on gaming, culture, and Asian audiences.
Shareholders of Electronic Arts (EA) have approved a US$55 billion takeover that will take one of the world’s most influential video game publishers private, in a deal led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
Investors voted in favor of the US$210 per share acquisition, marking a pivotal moment for the 40-year-old gaming giant behind franchises such as EA Sports FC and Battlefield. Once the transaction closes, EA will exit public markets and operate under private ownership for the first time since its early years.
For Asian marketers, brand leaders, and CMOs watching the convergence of gaming, culture, and capital, the deal carries implications far beyond M&A headlines.
Leighton Cosseboom
Why This Matters To Brands In Asia
Gaming is no longer a niche entertainment channel. It is one of Asia’s most powerful brand platforms. Recent regional industry research published in 2024 shows that Asia Pacific now accounts for more than half of global gaming revenue, with Southeast Asia and the Middle East among the fastest-growing markets for interactive entertainment, esports, and in-game advertising.
By taking EA private, Saudi Arabia is betting that long-term investment, creative freedom, and global IP expansion will unlock more value than quarterly earnings discipline. That shift matters to marketers because it changes how some of the world’s most influential entertainment brands will be built and monetized.
Private ownership gives EA greater freedom to focus on multi-year franchise development, deeper fan engagement, and emerging markets. For brands seeking durable cultural relevance, this mirrors how many of Asia’s strongest consumer platforms are built.
Leighton Cosseboom
Saudi Capital Meets Global Gaming IP
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has steadily expanded its exposure to gaming and interactive media as part of a broader economic diversification strategy. The EA acquisition stands out as one of its largest and most symbolic investments in the sector to date.
For EA, the move provides strategic flexibility. Without the pressure of public shareholders, the company can invest more aggressively in new gameplay formats, live service models, creator ecosystems, and regional localisation strategies.
For Asian audiences, this may translate into more regionally tailored content, stronger mobile and esports initiatives, and deeper integrations with streaming, social, and commerce platforms.
Leighton Cosseboom
A Marketing Signal, Not Just a Finance Story
For CMOs across Asia, the EA buyout reinforces a broader shift in how global entertainment brands are being built. Increasingly, long-term private capital is prioritizing cultural scale, audience depth, and ecosystem development over short-term efficiency.
Recent Asia-focused marketing studies rank gaming among the top three channels for Gen Z and Gen Alpha brand discovery in markets such as South Korea, Indonesia, and the Philippines. In-game brand experiences consistently outperform standard digital advertising in terms of attention, recall, and time spent metrics.
EA’s move to private ownership may accelerate experimentation in branded worlds, live digital events, and long-running franchise partnerships that blur the lines between entertainment and marketing.
Leighton Cosseboom
What Asian CMOs Should Take Away
The EA deal highlights three strategic realities for marketers in Asia.
First, gaming is becoming a core brand-building environment rather than a peripheral media channel. Second, private capital is reshaping how global entertainment IP grows, with greater tolerance for experimentation and longer investment horizons. Third, Asia’s audiences are central to the future of gaming, not secondary to Western markets.
As global IP owners rethink their operating models, Asian brands that treat gaming as culture, community, and commerce will be best positioned to capture the next wave of growth.
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