AppLovin Offers To Buy Unity Video Game Software In A Deal Worth $17.5 Billion

People play “Pokemon GO” on a Pokequan GoBoat Adventure Cruise on the Occoquan River in the small town of Occoquan, Virginia, US, August 14, 2016. REUTERS / Sait Serkan Gurbuz

Aug 9 (Reuters) – Game software company AppLovin Corp (APP.O) It made a bid on Tuesday to buy its counterpart Unity Software Inc (United nations) In a $17.54 billion all-share deal, it threatens to derail Unity’s announced plan to acquire AppLovin’s smaller rival IronSource.

AppLovin offered $58.85 per share of Unity stock, which is an 18% premium to Unity’s closing price on Monday. The unit will own 55% of the combined company’s outstanding shares, which is approximately 49% of the voting rights.

Sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that AppLovin has hired consultants to prepare an offer after the unit said last month that it would buy IronSource in an all-share deal worth $4.4 billion. Unity’s board would have to terminate the IronSource deal if it wanted to pursue a group with AppLovin, according to the proposal.

Under the proposed deal, Unity CEO John Riccitiello will become CEO of the combined business, while AppLovin CEO Adam Foroughi will take over as Chief Operating Officer.

The unit said its board of directors would evaluate the bid. The company is due to announce its earnings after the bell rings on Tuesday.

Both companies make software that is used to design video games. Game industry programs have also expanded to include new technologies such as the so-called metaverse or immersive virtual worlds.

Unity has been used to build some of the most played games like “Call of Duty: Mobile” and “Pokemon Go”, while AppLovin provides help for developers to grow and monetize their apps.

AppLovin’s offering comes as game developers and console makers warn of a slowdown in the sector as decades of high inflation and the easing of COVID-19 restrictions have led to players choosing outdoor activities. The company lowered its sales guidance on Tuesday.

“The deal came as a surprise to everyone in the field,” said Serkan Toto, founder of Cantan Games, a consulting firm that specializes in the gaming industry. “It’s a $15 billion company chasing a $15 billion company. It’s a desperate attempt to merge and the chances of this deal happening are very slim.”

Shares of Palo Alto, California-based AppLovin, which went public last year, fell 9.9% while shares of Unity rose 1% in morning trading. ironSource shares fell 9.7%.

Foroughi said the combined company will have the potential to generate adjusted operating profit of more than $3 billion by the end of 2024.

Additional reporting by Eva Matthews and Nivedita Balu in Bengaluru and Crystal Ho in New York; Editing by Sumyadb Chakrabarti and Mike Harrison

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