Sony Joins Hands with Bandai Namco, Buys 2.5% Share
Sony is now in a key tie-up with Bandai Namco, having bought 16 million shares for about 68 billion yen (close to $465 million). This deal hands Sony 2.5% of Bandai Namco's full share count, an effort to use Bandai Namco's huge set of IPs.
Aiming at Anime and IP Growth
The prime aim set forth in the news is for Sony to make and share anime and other film work using Bandai Namco's IPs. Both firms have put out words that show they share this plan.
Nobuhiko Momoi, a high boss at Bandai Namco, talked about their "IP axis plan" and showed joy at:
"the chance to craft new fun by mixing Sony Group's power and tech skills... with Bandai Namco's IP axis plan."
Toshimoto Mitomo, Head of Plan at Sony, said the tie aims to "build lots of content and fun that goes past hope" by meshing both firm's strengths. They plan to:
"push on fast to make the most of IP value."
Wider Meanings and Market Backdrop
While the main look is on anime and movie stuff, this work might grow to other fields like games and music. Yet, due to Sony only holding a 2.5% share, it's not seen as likely that this tie will make Bandai Namco's games only for Sony's PlayStation.
This step fits with Sony's other recent buys. By the end of 2024, Sony got the top spot in Kadokawa Corporation, the lead firm of FromSoftware, with a 10% stake. But soon, Tencent pushed up its own stake in Kadokawa to almost 8%.
