Sega Officially Announces Rovio Acquisition for Mobile Growth & to Help Rovio Expand Outside Mobile Gaming

Sega has officially announced that as a subsidiary of Sega Sammy Holdings, they are set to acquire the mobile gaming company, Rovio, known for the goliath that is the Angry Birds franchise. Rumors of this purchase were making the rounds, but it has now been confirmed by Sega themselves.

This acquisition is a “friendly takeover,”  meaning that the Rovio Board of Directors has agreed to this process. Specifically speaking, “SEGA aims to acquire the entirety of Rovio’s outstanding shares and options at EUR 9.25 per share and EUR 1.48 per option, or EUR 706 million in total (approximately ¥103,680 million converted at EUR1 = ¥146.9 (FX rate as of April 14, 2023).”

Sega then went on to say that this acquisition is expectedly for mobile gaming expansion, with the company seeking Rovio’s know-how on excelling in the mobile market and embracing fanbase growth thanks to this coalescence. Further, Sega is looking to support Rovio as it attempts to expand its market outside of mobile gaming.

The president, group CEO, and representative director of Sega Sammy Holdings, Haruki Satomi, shared the following comment:

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.

The CEO of Rovio, Alexandre Pelletier-Normand, shared the following comment:

I grew up playing Sonic the Hedgehog, captivated by its state-of-the-art design. Later, when I played Angry Birds for the first time, I knew that gaming had evolved into a true mainstream phenomenon, with the power to shape modern culture.

Joining Rovio has been an honour and I am proud to have seen Angry Birds continue to grow, as we released new games, series and films. Less known but equally impressive is our industry-leading proprietary technology platform, Beacon, holding 20 years of expertise, allowing tight-knit teams to develop world-class GaaS products.

Our mission is to ‘Craft Joy’ and we are thrilled at the idea of using our expertise and tools to bring even more joy to our players, enhancing and expanding Rovio’s and SEGA’s vibrant IPs.

Red and Sonic the Hedgehog: two globally recognized and iconic characters made by two remarkably complementary companies, with a worldwide reach that spans mobile, PC/console, and beyond. Combining the strengths of Rovio and SEGA presents an incredibly exciting future.

This acquisition is expected to finalize in the second quarter of the Fiscal Year, March 2024.

For further details, you can read the fully released document by Sega Sammy Holdings.