Netflix considered buying EA before negotiating for Warner Bros.

New reports reveal that the streaming giant valued acquiring EA, Fox and Disney before setting its sights on Warner Bros.

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The week is leaving headlines that would have seemed impossible a few years ago. After the agreement valued at over $82 billion to absorb Warner Bros, a new report suggests that Netflix studied even more ambitious moves before that negotiation. According to Bloomberg, the company internally debated whether to launch a bid for EA, Fox, and even Disney, although it ultimately discarded all those options.

The fact is surprising because it never became public and because, in the case of Disney, it would have been a scenario totally opposite to its usual trajectory: the mouse company is the one that buys studios, not the one that receives offers. Either due to risk with investors or lack of consensus, Netflix decided not to move forward with any of those operations.

Netflix’s Previous Interest in EA and the Effects on the Industry

What is confirmed is that 2025 has been the year of major operations surrounding EA. On one hand, the public investment fund of Saudi Arabia is moving forward with a proposal close to $55 billion to acquire the company. On the other hand, we now know that Netflix also valued acquiring it before focusing on Warner Bros.

• Both moves have a common point: they still need regulatory approval and it’s not guaranteed that they will go ahead. In the case of EA, several US senators have expressed concern about the growing foreign influence in a company that handles licenses as powerful as FIFA, Battlefield, Mass Effect, or Apex Legends. EA, for its part, has assured in its official documentation that it would maintain creative control in any scenario.

Regarding Warner Bros., if the purchase is finalized, Netflix would take control of historic franchises such as Mortal Kombat, Batman, and Harry Potter also in their video game aspect. The move fits with the service’s growing interest in the industry, although its recent trajectory shows abrupt decisions: in 2024, it canceled an AAA shooter led by Halo and Destiny veterans, and months later closed Boss Fight, responsible for the Squid Game mobile game.