Sony Becomes Kadokawa’s Largest Shareholder

Sony has announced a strategic alliance with Kadokawa Corporation, solidifying its position as the company’s largest shareholder as of January 7, 2024. As part of this agreement, Sony will acquire 12,054,100 new Kadokawa shares for approximately ¥49.98 billion (around $318 million), bringing its stake to nearly 10%.

Sony Becomes Kadokawa’s Largest Shareholder

This investment builds on a partnership that began in February 2021 when Sony first purchased shares in Kadokawa. The collaboration aims to enhance both companies’ global presence through initiatives such as adapting Kadokawa’s intellectual properties (IPs) into live-action films and TV series, co-producing anime, expanding global anime distribution, and publishing Kadokawa’s games through Sony’s platforms.

Kadokawa plans to allocate ¥20 billion between 2025 and 2030 to develop and acquire new IPs, with an additional ¥29.7 billion dedicated to expanding global IP distribution. The partnership will also enable broader publication of Kadokawa’s games and e-books through the Sony Group.

Despite Sony’s increased stake, the largest technical shareholders of Kadokawa remain Korea Securities Depository – Samsung (10.01%) and The Master Trust Bank of Japan (9.76%), both of which act as trust operators without direct control over the company.

Recently, Kadokawa acquired the animation studio Doga Kobo and experienced a cyberattack in June that impacted its subsidiary Dwango. Full service recovery was achieved by August.

This strategic alliance marks a significant step for Sony in cementing its position as a global entertainment powerhouse and for Kadokawa in expanding its reach in international markets.

via Você Sabia Anime