SoftBank acquires DigitalBridge: scales AI infrastructure

On December 29, 2025, SoftBank Group announced a definitive agreement to acquire DigitalBridge for about $4.0 billion. The companies said the purchase focuses on DigitalBridge’s data-center and connectivity assets that support compute, networking and edge deployments. SoftBank positions the acquisition to accelerate capacity and interconnection for large AI models. Corporate releases summarized the deal structure and asset transfers, and reporting by Reuters and the Financial Times corroborated the price and strategic rationale. The companies described the agreement as definitive but subject to customary closing conditions.

For IT and infrastructure teams, the transaction signals faster, capital-backed expansion of data-center capacity and fiber/connectivity footprints in markets where DigitalBridge operates. Customers and partners should track integration timetables, potential changes to wholesale pricing, and any regulatory conditions that could affect capacity rollouts. Teams should also review contracts that affect latency, throughput and regional availability during the integration period.

Why It Matters

• SoftBank capital could accelerate data-center and interconnect deployments that AI teams rely on for model training and inference; operations teams should update capacity plans and timelines.
• Greater scale and integrated connectivity may reduce latency and increase throughput for multi-region AI workloads; architects should validate performance assumptions across regions.
• Consolidation may change wholesale pricing and asset availability; procurement should re-evaluate supplier exposure and contract terms tied to DigitalBridge assets.
• Post-close integration could alter service contracts and data-residency controls; security and compliance teams should audit terms and map any changed responsibilities.