Sega Acquires Angry Birds Developer Rovio

Sega Sammy Holdings announced its acquisition of Rovio Entertainment, the Finnish developer of the renowned “Angry Birds” franchise, based in Helsinki, for a sum of approximately $776 million (equivalent to ¥53.37 billion).

This news prompted Rovio’s stock price to surge, with the transaction anticipated to finalize between late summer and early autumn this year, signaling Sega’s ambitious expansion into the mobile gaming sphere. Notably, Sega is not the first game publisher and developer to consider acquiring Rovio; last month, Israeli digital entertainment company Playtika proposed a $735 million purchase, which was ultimately rejected.

According to data released by Rovio, the “Angry Birds” series holds the distinction of being the first mobile game to surpass one billion downloads. Through this acquisition, Sega has secured a globally recognized intellectual property, which has expanded into the realm of cinema (two animated films) and countless merchandise sales channels (toys, clothing, and other accessories). Haruki Satomi, President and Group CEO of Sega Sammy Holdings expressed great enthusiasm about the acquisition, stating, “Among 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, and home to many skilled employees that support the company’s industry leading mobile game development and operating capabilities. Historically, as represented by the “Sonic the Hedgehog” series, Sega has released countless video game titles to various gaming platforms. I am confident that, through combination of both companies’ brands, characters, fanbase, as well as corporate culture and functionality, there will be significant synergies created going forward.”

Industry analysts suggest that Rovio’s development team will commence mobile game development for Sega later this year. The global mobile gaming market is currently experiencing rapid growth, with its scale projected to increase by 56% within the next three years. Over the years, Sega has broadened its gaming studio portfolio through worldwide acquisitions, including Creative Assembly (Total War series), Sports Interactive (Football Manager series), and Relic Entertainment (Company of Heroes series).