MADRID, 17 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) -
The Japanese group Sega Sammy Holdings, owner of the popular Sonic the hedgehog, has submitted a purchase offer for 100% of the capital of the Finnish study Rovio, which values the creator of the Angry Birds at 706 million euros, as reported by the companies.
The purchase offer launched through Sega Europe Limited contemplates the cash payment of 9.25 euros for each Rovio share, as well as 1.48 euros for rights holders. Compared to the closing price of the Finn's shares last Friday, the price represents a premium of 19%.
Sega's offer has the unanimous support of Rovio's board of directors, which recommends that the company's shareholders and option holders accept the proposal. In addition, a group of Rovio shareholders with approximately a 49.1% stake in the company have irrevocably committed to accept the offer.
The offer period is expected to begin on or about May 8 and expire on or about July 3, 2023, unless the offeror extends the offer period to satisfy the conditions. The offering is currently expected to be completed during the third quarter of 2023.
Closing of the purchase is subject to the satisfaction or waiver by the offeror of certain customary conditions, including, but not limited to, receiving approvals from all necessary regulatory authorities and an acceptance of more than 90% of the shares and votes in Rovio.
"I grew up playing Sonic the Hedgehog, captivated by its next-generation design. Later, when I played Angry Birds for the first time, I knew that the games had become a true mainstream phenomenon, with the power to shape modern culture. ", declared the CEO of Rovio, Alexandre Pelletier-Normand, for whom Red and Sonic are two iconic and globally recognized characters created by two remarkably complementary companies.
"The combination of the strengths of Rovio and Sega presents an incredibly exciting future," he added.
For his part, Haruki Satomi, president and CEO of Sega Sammy Holdings, highlighted the particularly high growth potential of the mobile gaming segment.
I am confident that through the combination of the brands, characters, fan base, as well as the corporate culture and functionality of both companies, significant synergies will be created in the future."
