Summary
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) reported solid performance for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021, with total net revenue reaching $5.63 billion, a slight increase of 2% year-over-year. This growth was primarily driven by a 10% increase in live services and other net revenue, which now accounts for 71% of total net revenue. The company benefited from increased player engagement, partly due to pandemic-related social restrictions, which accelerated longer-term trends like digital game purchases and live service monetization. EA also made significant strategic acquisitions during the year, including Codemasters for $1.2 billion to bolster its racing game portfolio and Glu Mobile for $2.3 billion to enhance its mobile gaming capabilities. Despite revenue growth, operating income and net income saw a decline compared to the prior year. This was largely due to a one-time net tax benefit recognized in fiscal year 2020, which artificially inflated that year's net income. EA continued its commitment to returning capital to shareholders through share repurchases and initiated a quarterly cash dividend. The company's strategy remains focused on delivering engaging games and content, expanding its live services, and connecting more players across more platforms.
Financial Highlights
51 data points| Revenue | $5.63B |
| Cost of Revenue | $1.49B |
| Gross Profit | $4.13B |
| Operating Expenses | $3.09B |
| Operating Income | $1.05B |
| Interest Expense | $45.00M |
| Net Income | $837.00M |
| EPS (Basic) | $2.90 |
| EPS (Diluted) | $2.87 |
| Shares Outstanding (Basic) | 289.00M |
| Shares Outstanding (Diluted) | 292.00M |
Key Highlights
- 1Total net revenue increased by 2% year-over-year to $5.63 billion, driven by strong live services performance.
- 2Live services and other net revenue grew by 10% to $4.02 billion, representing 71% of total net revenue.
- 3Significant strategic acquisitions were completed: Codemasters for $1.2 billion and Glu Mobile for $2.3 billion, strengthening the company's portfolio and market position.
- 4Digital sales continue to grow, with digital full game downloads increasing by 13% and representing a significant portion of full game revenue.
- 5The company returned $827 million to stockholders through share repurchases and dividends in fiscal year 2021.
- 6Net bookings, a key performance metric, increased by 15% to $6.19 billion, indicating strong underlying demand.
- 7Despite revenue growth, operating income decreased by 28% and net income by 72% due to a large one-time tax benefit in the prior year.