Sega wants to buy Angry Birds developer Rovio for $775 million
Sega is attempting to purchase Angry Birds maker Rovio for €706 million ($775 million), and hopes to use the Finnish studio's live service know-how to bring its own titles to mobile platforms.
The Japanese company has made a tender offer to acquire the entirety of Rovio's outstanding shares and options at €9.25 per share and €1.48 per option.
The move is what's known as a friendly takeover, with Rovio's board of directors having unanimously agreed to recommend that shareholders and option holders accept the offer.
According to Rovio, the offer represents a 19 percent increase on the closing price of €7.78 for Rovio shares on Nasdaq Helsinki on April 14, 2023, which was the last day of trading prior to the announcement.
At the time of writing, Moor Holding, which holds roughly 49.1 percent of outstanding shares and votes in the Finnish company, has "irrevocably" accepted the offer.
Sega believes the deal would strengthen its position within the mobile industry, and intends to "take-in Rovio's live-operated game development capabilities and expertize in mobile game operation" to develop "mobile-compatible" versions of existing franchises. Gaining access to Rovio's proprietary mobile development platform, Beacon, is another incentive.
The company has also indicated it will support Rovio's expansion outside of mobile gaming, which could include bringing its existing properties to new platforms.
Sega feels that investing in its game development and operating capabilities is "imperative," and claims Rovio–which has a sizeable presence in America and Europe–would allow it to expand its global footprint while also securing a "loved" multi-media brand in Angry Birds.
"Among the rapidly growing global gaming market, the mobile
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