Electronic Arts

What Electronic Arts does

Electronic Arts (EA), founded in 1982 and headquartered in Redwood City, California, is one of the largest interactive entertainment publishers in the world, operating a portfolio of flagship franchises across sports, action, and life simulation genres. Its core sports titles — EA Sports FC (formerly FIFA), Madden NFL, EA Sports UFC, EA Sports College Football, EA Sports F1, and EA Sports NHL — anchor over 50% of the company's ~$7.5 billion in annual revenue from just four franchises. The company also operates major live-service shooters (Apex Legends, Battlefield 6) and life-simulation titles (The Sims 4), reaching 120+ million monthly active players across consoles, PC, and mobile platforms.

EA's technology foundation is the proprietary Frostbite game engine, augmented by specialized systems such as Sapien Technology and Markerless Capture for athletic motion authenticity in UFC 6, the Flow State combat mechanics system, the Persona Engine for AI-driven player behavior modeling in Madden NFL 27, and Frostbite-driven real-time ragdoll physics. Distribution spans EA's own digital storefront and subscription services (the EA app, EA Play at $5.99/month, EA Play Pro at $16.99/month) alongside third-party platforms including Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus, and Nintendo Switch Online. A new EA Advertising platform, launched in June 2026, introduces a fourth revenue stream by inserting dynamic, AI-targeted brand placements into games.

EA's business model combines full-game sales ($69.99–$149.99 for premium editions), digital content and microtransactions (Ultimate Team packs, virtual currency, DLC), recurring subscription revenue, and the emerging in-game advertising business. The company holds exclusive or premium licensing arrangements with the NFL, NCAA, UFC, Formula 1, NHL, and (newly) the Brazilian Football Confederation, plus a Star Wars collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. EA is publicly traded on NASDAQ under ticker EA, with a market capitalization of $51.35 billion as of June 2026, but is the subject of a pending $55 billion all-cash take-private acquisition by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners, awaiting EU regulatory approval.

Name

Electronic Arts

Legal name

Electronic Arts Inc.

Website

https://ea.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Electronic Arts is a global video game publisher founded in 1982, operating flagship franchises including EA Sports FC, Madden NFL, UFC, Battlefield, Apex Legends, and The Sims across consoles, PC, and mobile to 120+ million monthly active players.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Video Game Publishing

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210), Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports/Racing Game Studios (MPAFAAAJ)

Keywords

• Video game publishing
• Sports simulation games
• Live service gaming
• Subscription gaming services
• In-game advertising

Headquarters

HQ city

Redwood City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Full Game Sales: Revenue from selling complete video game titles at retail and digital pricing ($69.99-$99.99 for new releases). Includes standard and premium/ultimate editions.
2. Digital Content and Microtransactions: Revenue from in-game purchases including Ultimate Team packs, downloadable content, virtual currency, and cosmetic items across live service titles.
3. Subscription Services (EA Play/EA Play Pro): Recurring subscription revenue from EA Play ($5.99/month or $39.99/year) and EA Play Pro ($16.99/month or $119.99/year) offering access to game libraries, trials, and member rewards.
4. In-Game Advertising: New revenue stream from EA Advertising platform delivering dynamic in-game placements to brands, competing for share of estimated $8.5 billion in-game advertising market.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Electronic Arts develops, publishes, and distributes interactive entertainment software — primarily licensed sports simulation titles (EA Sports FC, Madden NFL, UFC, College Football, F1, NHL), live-service multiplayer games (Apex Legends, Battlefield 6), life-simulation games (The Sims), and other narrative titles across console, PC, and mobile platforms. The company also operates the EA Play subscription service, the EA app PC distribution platform, and the newly launched EA Advertising in-game advertising platform.

Product overview

Electronic Arts operates as a multi-franchise video game publisher offering a portfolio of sports, action, and simulation games across console, PC, and mobile platforms. The core sports lineup includes EA Sports FC 26 (football), Madden NFL 27 (American football), EA Sports UFC 6 (mixed martial arts), and EA Sports College Football 27 (college football), alongside action titles Battlefield 6 and Apex Legends, and simulation games including The Sims 4. EA distributes games through its EA app (PC), major console platforms (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch), cloud gaming services (Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus, Nintendo Switch Online), and its own subscription service EA Play. The company also operates EA Advertising, a branded content platform integrating real-world advertisements into games.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EA Sports FC: Football video game franchise, formerly known as FIFA until 2022 naming rights separation.
• EA Play
• EA Advertising

Products and services

• EA Sports FC 26

Quantifiable outcome

• Record full fiscal year 2026 net bookings of $8.026 billion, up 9% year-over-year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

AI capability7 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• VisaflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerMulti-year global partnership to deliver immersive experiences across EA SPORTS franchises including EA Sports FC and EA Sports College Football. The collaboration includes Visa-branded Squad Building Challenges, dedicated Visa Live Game Mode in EA Sports FC 26, and NIL sponsorship mechanics in Road to Glory career mode. Visa positioned as sponsor across EA Sports titles with activations planned for events like Madden Bowl during Super Bowl week.
• NexoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-term publishing partnership extension for the FC franchise in Korea. Nexon serves as the domestic publisher for EA Sports FC Online and FC Mobile in the Korean market.
• Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-year licensing and marketing partnership announced during Gamescom in São Paulo, bringing the Brazilian National Team back into the EA Sports FC game franchise. Includes licensing rights and joint marketing initiatives for in-game content in EA Sports FC 26 and EA Sports FC Mobile.
• Lucasfilm GamescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Star Wars Zero Company, a single-player turn-based tactics game developed by Bit Reactor. Lucasfilm Games provides oversight to ensure authentic Star Wars experience. Game features original Star Wars story set during Clone Wars with over 150 planets.
• Bit ReactorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent studio created by longtime strategy game developers, working closely with EA and Lucasfilm Games to develop Star Wars Zero Company. Bit Reactor brings turn-based tactics expertise to the project.
• Red BullcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partner integrated into Battlefield 6 through Red Bull-sponsored challenges. One of the first partners in EA's new advertising platform with themed challenges appearing in Battlefield 6.
• Lowe'sminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partner for EA Advertising platform, integrated into EA's sports and live service games for dynamic in-game advertising placements.
• Mountain DewminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partner for EA Advertising platform, integrated into EA's sports games with branded content and challenges.
• XfinityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partner for EA Advertising platform, integrated into EA's game portfolio for targeted advertising.
• PeacockminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partner for EA Advertising platform, integrated into EA's sports games for cross-promotional content.
• Metalhead SoftwarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian game studio based in Victoria, B.C., acquired by EA in May 2021. Known for the Super Mega Baseball series. Acquisition expanded EA's portfolio in sports gaming.
• KLabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development partner with EA for EA Sports FC Tactical, a turn-based soccer game originally soft-released in select Asian markets in May 2024.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Activision Blizzard (Microsoft): Major Western AAA publisher with comparable console/PC/mobile footprint across Call of Duty, Overwatch, Diablo, and Candy Crush. Direct competitor for shooter and live-service mindshare, distribution on the same consoles, and overlapping monetization models.
• Take-Two Interactive: Publisher of NBA 2K, the closest direct competitor to EA's Madden and EA Sports FC franchises, plus GTA and Red Dead Redemption. Directly comparable sports and open-world publisher serving the same console/PC audiences with annual sports releases.
• Ubisoft: French AAA publisher with sports-adjacent franchises (formerly direct FIFA competitor) and live-service shooters (Rainbow Six, The Division). Operates same console/PC distribution and faces the same annual release and live-service monetization dynamics.
• Konami Digital Entertainment: Direct sports gaming competitor with eFootball (formerly PES, the historical rival to FIFA/EA Sports FC) plus Yu-Gi-Oh! and Silent Hill. Most direct head-to-head rival in football simulation.
• 2K Games: Take-Two subsidiary publishing NBA 2K, WWE 2K, and PGA Tour 2K. Direct sports simulation competitor with overlapping athlete licensing deals and franchise mode mechanics.

Broad incumbents

• Microsoft (Xbox Game Studios): Platform owner that both distributes EA titles via Game Pass and competes as a publisher through Xbox Game Studios post-Activision acquisition. The dual platform-plus-publisher role makes it the most strategically consequential incumbent for EA.
• Sony Interactive Entertainment: PlayStation platform owner distributing EA titles via PlayStation Plus while also publishing first-party AAA exclusives. Critical distribution partner and competitor for console sports and shooter franchises.
• Nintendo: Platform owner that hosts EA titles via Nintendo Switch Online (including EA Sports FC 26 trial) and competes for casual and family gaming time with first-party franchises. Distribution partner and indirect competitor for player wallet share.

Emerging players

• Epic Games: Fortnite operator and Unreal Engine owner; competes with EA in live-service shooters and sports crossovers (NFL skins in Fortnite) while also providing engine technology adjacent to EA's Frostbite.
• Riot Games: Free-to-play live-service specialist behind League of Legends and Valorant. Most relevant emerging competitor for Apex Legends and EA's live-service shooter roadmap, sharing the same free-to-play, cosmetics-driven monetization model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/EA
• Facebookfacebook.com/EA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/electronic-arts
• Instagraminstagram.com/ea

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A43 records

Investments4 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Electronic Arts