Did Netflix want to buy EA? Streaming giant reportedly considered a huge gaming shift before sealing its $82 billion Warner Bros deal

Nillohit Bagchi | Dec 09, 2025, 17:57 IST

X/@FearBuck | Netflix’s eighty-two billion dollar deal for Warner Bros shocked the entertainment world, but new reports claim the company quietly explored buying EA first

( Image credit : X/@FearBuck | Netflix’s eighty-two billion dollar deal for Warner Bros shocked the entertainment world, but new reports claim the company quietly explored buying EA first )

Netflix’s eighty two billion dollar deal for Warner Bros shocked the entertainment world, but new reports claim the company quietly explored buying EA first. Internal debates, high costs and investor worries stopped the move, raising fresh questions about how far Netflix wants to go into gaming.

As the year draws to a close, the entertainment and gaming industries are buzzing with speculation about what could have been one of the biggest takeovers in gaming history. New reports claim Netflix once considered buying Electronic Arts, the company behind FIFA, Apex Legends and The Sims.

This surprising rumour surfaced just as Netflix’s massive offer for Warner Bros became public, leading many to wonder whether the streaming giant almost took a very different path. Internal debates, high price concerns and fears about upsetting investors reportedly stopped the idea. Still, the rumour raises new questions about Netflix’s long term gaming ambitions.

Netflix quietly explored an EA takeover

A recent Bloomberg report revealed that Netflix executives spent months weighing whether to buy EA. The idea was part of a larger push to expand beyond streaming by adding major entertainment and gaming assets. Netflix even considered Disney and Fox during these discussions, showing how wide their search really was.

( Image credit : Electronic Arts | New reports claim Netflix once considered buying Electronic Arts )

Insiders say the company struggled to make a clear choice. Leaders were worried that moving too fast into gaming might surprise investors who still viewed Netflix mainly as a streaming platform. The uncertainty eventually led the team to back away from EA despite the potential long term value.

Netflix considered buying EA before Warner Bros. pic.twitter.com/yDC4N81Lsz

— Pirat_Nation 🔴 (@Pirat_Nation) December 8, 2025

Did Netflix turn away from EA?

Buying EA would have required tens of billions and carried a huge risk. EA’s value was high, and any premium offer could have hurt Netflix’s stock. Analysts say management feared they might pay too much for a company that operated under a completely different model.

( Image credit : X/@DramaAlert | There were also questions about how smoothly a gaming giant could fit into Netflix’s structure )

There were also questions about how smoothly a gaming giant could fit into Netflix’s structure. Large scale studio integrations often come with cultural clashes, long delays and investment risks. Executives reportedly worried these problems could outweigh the benefits of owning hit franchises.

Netflix’s complicated gaming journey

Netflix has tried for years to expand into gaming. It purchased smaller studios, released mobile titles and even attempted to develop its own major shooter game. But progress has been uneven. In 2024, the company shut down a large multiplayer project despite hiring top talent from Halo and Destiny. Later that year, Netflix closed Boss Fight, the studio behind Squid Game Unleashed.

( Image credit : Netflix | Netflix has tried for years to expand into gaming )

These failures made it clear that building games from scratch is expensive and unpredictable. Buying EA would have given Netflix instant access to proven franchises, but the risk was still too large for the company to accept.

Why Warner Bros became the safer bet for Netflix

Instead of chasing EA, Netflix shifted its attention towards Warner Bros. The move offered something the company understood well. Warner Bros came with a huge film and TV library that could immediately strengthen Netflix’s streaming platform.

Netflix reportedly considered buying Electronic Arts (EA), 21st Century Fox, and The Walt Disney Company in the past before buying Warner Bros.

(Source: https://t.co/SalHGzUKWM) pic.twitter.com/kjYQYPJ7Yw

— ToonHive (@ToonHive) December 8, 2025

The acquisition also included gaming rights for titles like Mortal Kombat and Batman, giving Netflix a way to enter gaming without starting from zero. Executives believed this path balanced growth with stability, making it easier to explain to investors. Netflix says the deal will boost global storytelling, add decades of iconic content and help the company stay ahead in the streaming race.

EA’s separate drama with Saudi Arabia’s PIF

While Netflix looked elsewhere, EA became the focus of another major buyer. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is leading a fifty five billion dollar acquisition of EA, a deal now facing scrutiny in Washington. Lawmakers have raised concerns about foreign control over a major American gaming company.

Saudi Arabia will own 93.4% of EA in a $55B deal. But the part no one’s talking about is who made it possible: Jared Kushner.

PIF put $2B into his new firm… then his firm brokered the EA takeover that gave PIF control.

A former White House advisor helping a foreign government… pic.twitter.com/nFUEWAbpM6

— Belinda Ercan (@BelindaErcan) December 4, 2025

EA insists it will maintain creative control and continue operating normally, but regulators will decide the final outcome. The deal could reshape the gaming world if approved.

What does these rumours reveal about Netflix’s future?

The rumour that Netflix nearly bought EA highlights how serious the company is about reshaping its identity. It no longer sees itself as only a streaming service. It wants to control franchises, characters and entire entertainment universes that last for generations.

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, 2025

The question now is whether Netflix will continue chasing gaming or stay focused on film and television. For now, Warner Bros offers a stable path. But the idea of Netflix owning EA shows just how bold the company was willing to be.