Playtika offers to buy 'Angry Birds' maker Rovio for $683 mln (updated)

Playtika Holding

19/01/2023 17:06

(Adds offer details, shares, background)
       Jan 19 (Reuters) - Israeli gaming firm Playtika Holding
Corp  8II.F   PLTK.O  said on Thursday it offered to buy Finnish
game maker Rovio  ROVIO.HE , best known for its "Angry Birds"
franchise, for 683 million euros ($683 million) in a sweetened
all-cash deal.
        The offer price of 9.08 euros per share represents a
premium of about 60% to Rovio's close of trading on Jan. 19.
  
        Rovio did not immediately respond to a request for
comment.
  
        Playtika's offer is roughly 40 million euros more than
its previous offer in November.
  
        Shares of Playtika were down 4.7%.
  
        The latest offer comes as the gaming industry is going
through a round of consolidation. Last year, Microsoft offered
to buy Activision Blizzard  ATVI.O  for $69 billion, while Sony
Interactive Entertainment  6758.T  said it would acquire Bungie
Inc, the original creator of the "Halo" videogame, in a deal
valued at $3.6 billion.
  
 ($1 = 0.9261 euros)
 (Reporting by Tiyashi Datta in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju
Samuel)
 ((tiyashi.datta@thomsonreuters.com))