Sega Offers $776 Million to Acquire Angry Birds Developer Rovio
Sega Sammy is attempting to acquire Rovio Entertainment and take control of the Angry Birds IP.
As Reuters reports(Opens in a new window), Sega is offering to pay $776 million for the Finnish company, which is a 19% premium on the share price as of Friday, April 14. If successful, it would mean Sega takes ownership of the Angry Birds IP, allowing it to develop new games, movies, TV series, and merchandise for the popular media franchise.
According to Sega Sammy CEO Haruki Satomi, the acquisition is focused on allowing Sega to expand its presence in mobile games:
"In the rapidly growing global gaming market, the mobile gaming market has especially high potential, and it has been Sega's long-term goal to accelerate its expansion in this field ... I feel blessed to be able to announce such a transaction with Rovio, a company that owns 'Angry Birds', which is loved across the world."
It's unclear if Rovio will accept the offer as a $750 million deal presented by Israel-based digital entertainment company Playtika back in January was withdrawn after talks ended. In February. Rovio decided to kill its golden goose by unlisting Rovio Classics: Angry Birds on the Google Play Store and renaming it to "Red's First Flight" in the App Store.
Sega has a lot of experience reinvigorating gaming IPs, with Sonic the Hedgehog being a good example. Over the past few years we've seen Sonic game remasters, a collaboration with Lego, and even a Sonic esports drink that tastes like chili dogs. Angry Birds is likely to receive similar treatment if the Rovio acquisition proves successful.
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