Electronic Arts Issues a New Buyout Bid for Take-Two

(NewsVisual, powered by IntellectSpace) -- In a Thursday morning announcement that put to end weeks of speculation, Electronic Arts Inc (“EA”) (NASDAQ: ERTS) stated its unambiguous intention to buyout Take-Two Interactive Software Inc (NASDAQ: TTWO) for $26.00 per share in cash.

“The offer is valued at approximately $2 billion and represents a 64% premium over Take-Two’s closing stock price on February 15,” EA said in its press release.

At this time, it’s not known how Take-Two will respond to this latest buyout bid by EA.

NewsVisual created an IntellectSpace Knowledge Map that illustrates key past and current corporate connections that could have an impact on future discussions between the companies.

The most noteworthy link connects EA and Take-Two though Mark Sanders Lewis, who was with EA for fifteen years as a Senior Executive and later served as a Director at Take-Two between 2001 and 2007.

Other interesting relationships involve Directors and Executives from either company that may be well acquainted through a common entity.  EA Director Leonard S Coleman Jr and Take-Two Director Robert A Bowman may know each other, since each has held various senior positions during overlapping years with Major League Baseball.

The Knowledge Map shows numerous other sets of relationships through common connections link past members of the leadership teams at EA and Take-Two, which could have been pivotal in starting discussions and may also become useful in facilitating negotiations in the near future.

Click here for an interactive and fuller version of this IntellectSpace Knowledge Map.

(Note: the information contained and presented in Knowledge Maps is public information from the Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States of America).