Sega may buy Angry Birds maker for $1 billion

Sega Sammy Holdings Inc. is reportedly in talks to acquire Rovio Entertainment, the Finnish company behind the popular "Angry Birds" mobile game franchise. The potential $1 billion sale could be finalized in the coming week, according to the Wall Street Journal. Rovio has enjoyed vast success from its flagship game since its debut in 2009, inspiring spinoff games, TV shows, and movies. In 2019, Rovio launched an augmented reality version of the game. Sega Sammy Holdings is best known for its "Sonic the Hedgehog" games and films. Rovio boasted that its original "Angry Birds" game was the first to be downloaded 1 billion times. However, ten years after the launch of the game, Rovio reported a 48% drop in quarterly profit year-on-year, blaming the decline on difficulty obtaining new players. Rovio previously eyed a potential sale to its Israeli rival Playtika for around $800 million, but negotiations ended in March.