Sony Gains Control of the Anime Industry

On December 19, Sony Group Corporation announced the signing of a strategic alliance with Kadokawa Corporation, consolidating itself as the largest shareholder of this important Japanese publisher. As of January 7, 2025, Sony will own 10% of Kadokawa's shares, after acquiring more than 12 million shares for approximately 50 billion yen.

This agreement not only marks a milestone in the relationship between the two companies, but also sets out plans to maximize the value of Kadokawa's intellectual property (IP) globally. Among the initiatives announced are the adaptation of Kadokawa content into films and television series, the co-production of new anime works, and the global distribution of its titles through Sony platforms.

Kadokawa CEO Takeshi Natsuno expressed his enthusiasm: "We are very pleased to conclude this agreement. The partnership will strengthen our IP creation capabilities and allow us to explore media mix options with Sony's backing for global expansion, delivering our content to more users around the world. We are confident that this will contribute significantly to maximizing the value of our IPs and increasing our corporate value in the medium and long term."

Hiroki Totoki, President of Sony, highlighted the synergy between the two companies: "Through this partnership, we will combine Kadokawa's extensive IP creation ecosystem with Sony's strengths in global entertainment expansion, including anime and video games. Together, we will advance Kadokawa's 'Global Media Mix' strategy and Sony's 'Creative Entertainment' vision."

The announcement has generated a mixture of enthusiasm and speculation among the community, who have shared diverse opinions:

"A cooperation agreement? This gets interesting!"
"The time has come! This is huge!"
"Sony and Kadokawa together... It doesn't sound bad at all."
"Does this mean that FromSoftware could be under Sony's control?"
"At least it's better than being acquired by foreign companies."
"At only 10%, it's not yet a Sony subsidiary."
"Kadokawa is in decline in PTS... Doesn't this also affect Sony? Hahaha".
"What's next, an encyclopedia of Japanese place names from Sony?"

While some celebrate the collaboration as a positive step to protect and expand Japanese content internationally, others remain cautious about the financial and strategic impact of the agreement. This alliance promises to revolutionize the way Japanese intellectual property reaches global audiences, cementing Sony and Kadokawa as key players in the entertainment industry.

Source: Official Site