Sony Group Corporation has inked a strategic business alliance with anime and gaming powerhouse Bandai Namco Holdings Inc., with the electronics and entertainment conglomerate also acquiring a 2.5% stake in the company for approximately JPY68 billion ($464 million).
The deal sees Sony purchasing 16 million Bandai Namco shares from existing shareholders, positioning the partnership to capitalize on the booming global appetite for Japanese intellectual property, particularly in the rapidly expanding anime sector.
The two Japanese entertainment titans plan to leverage their combined strengths to expand fan communities worldwide and create what they’re calling “new and emotionally moving experiences” for audiences. The collaboration builds on the companies’ existing partnerships across games, anime and music, but significantly broadens the scope of their joint efforts.
Under the alliance, Bandai Namco will tap into Sony’s production and distribution muscle in anime and video content, as well as merchandising capabilities, to expand works and services based on its IP portfolio. The companies also plan joint development and promotion of anime and manga properties, along with technical collaboration on experiential entertainment.
The partnership extends to creator support initiatives, with plans for jointly developed entertainment technologies and services, plus potential co-investments and business alliances focused on fan engagement.
“The Bandai Namco Group promotes an IP axis strategy that aims to maximize IP value by leveraging the appeal and worldview of IP, providing the optimal products and services at the optimal timing in the optimal regions,” said Momoi Nobuhiko, executive vice president of Bandai Namco Holdings. “We are filled with excitement about the potential to create new entertainment by combining Sony Group’s strengths and technological capabilities across various entertainment fields with Bandai Namco’s IP axis strategy.”
For Sony, the deal aligns with its broader Creative Entertainment Vision strategy focused on maximizing IP value across its entertainment ecosystem. The company sees Bandai Namco’s “outstanding capacity for multidirectional expansion of diverse IP and deep connections with fans at real touchpoints” as key to expanding its global reach, according to Mitomo Toshimoto, Sony’s chief strategy officer and representative corporate executive officer.
“Through this partnership, we aim to co-create an array of content and experiences that exceed expectations and deliver Kando (emotion) to even more fans,” said Mitomo.