Sony Group Corporationjust announced a partnership deal involving a high-profile financial acquisition of shares in Bandai Namco. Gaming industry powerhouse Bandai Namco is behind classic anime-themed games that cut across notable franchises likeDragon Ball, One Piece, andMy Hero Academia,and this collaboration underscores significant productions for anime fans to partake in.
With a 68 billion yen payment ($464M) from Sony Corp.to finalize multiple investment agreements, the alliance places Sony Corp. as a strategic shareholder in Bandai NamcoInc., securing a 2.5% holding in the company. Fundamentally, the baseline of the partnership is to further explore and expand the Japanese entertainment spaces through the video game and anime cross-industry collaborations.
Sony’s Partnership With Bandai Namco Will Further Expand The Fan Community for IP In Anime and Manga
The Agreement Will Support Growing Creators to Enhance Anime’s Global Outreach
The recent Sony-Bandai Namco partnership is the crystallization of past collaborations between the two leading Japanese entertainment brands, especially in the gaming space; it solidifies their goals to broaden the thriving market, with the engagement of anime-manga fans at the epicenter.
To break down the agreement, Sony acquired 16 million Bandai Namco shares from existing company shareholders for a staggering sum of 68 billion yen — approximately 464 million dollars. The payment roughly amounts to Sony’s acquisition of 2.5% of Bandai Namco’s total shares.
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. 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. Through this collaboration, we aim to connect with IP fans worldwide, co-create the future together, and realize our Purpose, “Fun for All into the Future,” and Mid- to Long-term Vision, “Connect with Fans.”
— Nobuhiko Momoi, Executive Vice President, Bandai Namco Holdings Inc.
Beyond the financials, the underlying purpose of the agreement is to maximize IP in anime and manga-driven areas. The duo intends to tap into the rapid global reception of the anime and related works by capitalizing on the promotion and expansions of products and services that will deepen global interest in the industry.
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, alongside Bandai Namco Group, with its outstanding capacity for multidirectional expansion of diverse IP and deep connections with fans at real touchpoints, both domestically and internationally. By combining the strengths of both companies in the field of entertainment and unlocking the potential of compelling IP, we will further accelerate our efforts to maximize IP value and realize Sony’s long-term vision, “Creative Entertainment Vision”.
— Toshimoto Mitomo, Chief Strategy Officer, Sony Group Corporation.
Statements from Nobuhiko Momoi, Executive Vice President of Bandai Namco Inc., and Toshimoto Mitomo, Sony’s Chief Strategy Officer, suggest that the partnership aims to deliver a multidirectional expansion of diverse IP, both in Japan and internationally. This will be achieved through creator-supportive promotions, cross-industry collaborations, and technology services that help grow the anime industry for the benefit of fans.
The Sony-Bandai Namco Collab Is Another Huge Win For The Anime Industry
It Ascertains the Fact that Anime is “Here to Stay”
It wasn’t too long ago that anime was considered a niche interest, enjoyed by few who discovered the depth of the medium’s creativity. Over the years, anime viewership has exceeded expectations,securing its presence in flourishing platforms like Netflix.
The multimillion-dollar partnership between Bandai Namco Holdings Inc. andSony Corp. accentuates the expansion of the medium and further cements the industry’s evolution. Ultimately,it’s a good time to be an anime fan, as this collaboration will fully tap into the resource-heavy potential of the once-controversial anime industry.
