Reports said Sony has been eyeing to acquire Kadokawa Corporation, the Japanese media conglomerate behind FromSoftware and many anime IPs, for some time. While that particular plan didn’t go through, the next best thing for both companies has occurred. Sony is now set to become Kadokawa’s largest shareholder following a $320 million acquisition of 12,054,100 shares — approximately 10% of Kadokawa’s total shares.
Announced on December 19, this move solidified a strategic capital and business alliance between the two companies. This alliance promises a deeper collaboration between Sony and Kadokawa, aiming to maximize the global value of both companies’ intellectual property or IP. The official transaction of shares is scheduled for January 7, 2025.
Sony plans to leverage its ‘Creative Entertainment Vision’ business approach and extensive portfolio to enhance Kadokawa’s so-called ‘Global Media Mix’ strategy. This includes joint ventures across gaming, anime co-production, and live-action adaptations of the media company IPs.
“We are very pleased to conclude this capital and business alliance agreement with Sony,” said Kadokawa’s CEO Takeshi Natsuno in a statement. “We are confident that this will greatly contribute to maximizing the value of our IP and increasing our corporate value in the mid-to-long-term.”
“By combining Kadokawa’s abundant IP with Sony’s global capabilities, we will work to maximize the value of IP and realize long-term creative visions,” emphasized Sony’s COO Hiroki Totoki.
Image source: Makoto Shinkai, Kadokawa, Toho
Kadokawa plans to allocate the capital raised from the share issuance toward creating new IPs and enhancing its global distribution infrastructure. Approximately 20 billion yen ($128 million) will go toward developing large-scale projects across anime, live-action, and gaming. The remaining 29.7 billion yen ($190 million) will support expanding Kadokawa’s presence in key markets, including English-speaking and Chinese-speaking regions.
Outside of Japan, Kadokawa is best known as the parent company of gaming studios like FromSoftware, the developer of Elden Ring, Bloodborne, and Dark Souls. It also owns Acquire, creator of Way of the Samurai, and Danganronpa‘s Spike Chunsoft. However, the publishing company also oversees significant operations in manga, anime, and film. Its famous published works include Sergeant Frog, a novel adaptation of Your Name, and the anime adaptation of Delicious in Dungeon.
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The deal arrives as Kadokawa is strengthening its position in both the anime and gaming industry. The company’s recent fiscal report highlights a push to ‘maximize the lifetime value’ of IPs like Elden Ring. One such plan includes development of 26 new games, 20 targeted for consoles, as well as a united effort to globalize its media ventures.
This means Sony won’t have an iron grip on FromSoftware and other developers owned by the Japanese media giant. Without a shadow of a doubt though, Sony’s involvement provides precious resources and expertise to extend Kadokawa’s worldwide reach.
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