#192 🎮 EA Goes Private in $55B Saudi-Led Deal

Sports Tech & Venture Intelligence. Every Week.

A Saudi-led consortium including PIF, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners completed the $55 billion acquisition of Electronic Arts, the biggest sports-adjacent tech deal of the year by a distance. Elsewhere, Fanatics acquired its own CFTC-registered exchange and clearinghouse, building the infrastructure for its own prediction market. This space is moving fast - IG Group's $1.3B acquisition of Underdog Fantasy earlier this month laid down a major marker.

July's round-up showed up with $2 billion in deal flow with $253 million in funding across 17 deals, and $1.83 billion in M&A across 7 acquisitions. Full monthly breakdown below.

Sports Tech Monthly Investment Roundup

Funding held steady across July at $252.9M across 17 deals, but the real action was in M&A, where $1.83B changed hands across 7 acquisitions. The headline was IG Group's $1.3B move for fantasy and prediction platform Underdog Fantasy, the biggest sports tech acquisition of the year so far. Put both sides together and total deal flow for the month cleared $2.08B.

Here's a quick summary:

• Geography: By capital, funding was led by the USA at roughly $147M, with the UK second near $83M, and the rest spread across Spain, France, Australia and India. Deal count told the same story up top, USA then the UK, ahead of a long tail. On the M&A side, the USA drove six of the seven deals, with the Netherlands accounting for the other.

• Sectors: For a change, 'For Executives' led funding at $104.0M (41.1%), almost entirely on the back of Twelve Labs' $100M round. 'For Athletes' followed at $87.1M (34.4%) and 'For Fans' at $61.8M (24.4%). The acquisitions leaned heavily on golf and betting by value, the two disclosed deals being a golf-simulator maker and a fantasy platform.

• Top Deals: Twelve Labs raised $100M in a Series B to top the funding table. M&A was where the money moved: IG Group acquired Underdog Fantasy for $1.3B, and Versant Media bought golf-simulator maker Full Swing Golf for $530M. The other five were undisclosed: Graham Sports & Entertainment Partners acquired MyGolfSpy; Hudl acquired TeamUp; LeagueApps acquired the National Center for Safety Initiatives; HAVAS acquired SportVibes; and ABC Fitness acquired Replify.

Detailed breakdown available on the Intelligence Hub.

Top News From The World Of Sports Tech & Biz

⚙️ Former Intel president launched Rule 42, a sports recruiting platform designed to help coaches at colleges of all sizes find promising baseball and softball players. 

💸 Aldi launched a UK-wide Aldi Sports Fund programme, giving grassroots sports clubs the chance to apply for grants of up to £3,000 to cover equipment, kit, coaching, and facility hire.

💸 SPORTSDAQ partnered with GSIC to connect India’s growing sports marketplaces to a global sports tech and investment network ahead of SPORTSDAQ 2026 in Ahmedabad.

📺 Disney considered launching free streaming channels as CEO Josh D’Amaro doubled down on the company’s streaming business.

🏈 IFAF and Nike announced a multi-year global partnership to expand flag football worldwide ahead of the sport’s Olympic debut at LA28, beginning at the IFAF Flag Football World Championships in Düsseldorf.

⛳ Game Your Game debuted on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker GYGY through a direct listing, bringing its AI-powered golf technology company to public markets.

⚽ Gotham FC, Flamingo, and the Women’s Sports Foundation announced Built to Move, a new study exploring the relationship between physical activity and greater body appreciation.

💰 Hilo, the health technology brand developed by Aktiia, raised $19 million in a Series B extension round, including new investment from Dell Family Office and continued support from existing backers, bringing total funding to more than $119 million as it launched its Hilo Core blood pressure monitoring system in the United States.

💰 USTA Ventures invested in Rec Technologies for an undisclosed amount to modernize how Americans discover and access tennis opportunities across public and private courts, facilities, coaches, and community programs through one connected recreation network.

💰 Collinson Group committed a further $1.9 million (£1.5 million) through Collinson Investments to support 10XU Group’s consolidation programme, deepening its travel and wellness partnership as 10XU expanded its FitTech ecosystem across WithU, Mvmnt, URUNN, and TrvlWell.

💰 Providence Equity Partners made an undisclosed strategic investment in THE•TEAM, the New York-based global sports, music, and entertainment marketing and talent representation agency, to support the company’s next phase of growth.

💰 Renaissance Technologies increased its stake in Genius Sports by 277% in Q1, adding 1.61 million shares to own 2.2 million shares worth approximately $9.7 million.

🤝 A Saudi-led consortium including Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners completed the $55 billion acquisition of Electronic Arts, taking the maker of EA FC, The Sims, Madden NFL, and Battlefield private while loading the company with debt.

🤝 Fanatics agreed to acquire Water Street Labs and CX Clearinghouse from BGC Group for an undisclosed amount, giving Fanatics Markets its own CFTC-registered exchange and clearinghouse to build federally regulated prediction market infrastructure.

🤝 Versant completed its acquisition of sports technology company Full Swing from Bruin Capital and minority investors for approximately $530 million in cash, adding golf and baseball simulator hardware, integrated software, and performance data capabilities to its golf portfolio.

🤝 A consortium led by Amanda Staveley and PCP Capital Partners agreed to buy the Gold family’s stake in West Ham United for an undisclosed amount, with the transaction involving the shares inherited by Vanessa Gold from her late father David Gold.

💸 Longtime Oregon State supporters Wayne and Marta von Borstel completed a $3 million commitment to Oregon State women’s basketball, including a $1 million capstone gift to establish the von Borstel Women’s Basketball Endowment Fund for student-athlete development, competitive enhancements, program operations, benefits, and team priorities.

💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION